Trials of the Goddesses
by Mach2K
Summary: The Desert king; ruthless, powerful, and wanting to claim Hyrule for his own. The ruler of Hyrule, wise and methodical. And the last, the courageous, bold ... girl from the country? Rated for sexual situations, language, extreme violence.
1. Chapter 1

Ganondorf fell to the ground, clutching the wound in his chest as blood ran freely down his shirt and armor. Link stepped back so that he couldn't grab him, watching as the once-king finally sank to the dirt and dead grass on his stomach. Link waited a little longer until he could no longer hear Ganondorf's rattling breaths, only the whistling wind through the trees' empty branches. When he was sure he could walk away, he immediately ran to the wrecked carriage. Zelda lay motionless in a pile of glass pieces, and his boots crunched as they broke under foot. He hesitated over her, waiting. Surely the spell of the glass coffin would be broken? After a long thirty seconds, she gasped sharply and started coughing, turning to one side and curling in on herself to brace for a fit.

"Zelda!" he cried out, relieved to see the color rushing into her pallid face. She coughed as she turned to look at him in surprise, tears welling up in her eyes from the exertion of it all. Finally, the fit subsided, and she started to sit up, moving to put her hands down in a pile of glass.

"Stop, stop. There's glass everywhere," he urged her. He glanced down at her bare feet, then crouched, reaching out with his hands to help her up. She stood slowly, mindful of the sharp little shards under her feet. But there was a minefield of it around them from when the coffin exploded, so instead, Link turned, half-crouching and encouraging Zelda to climb on.

"It's safer," he assured her, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. When she was ready, he straightened, and carried her until he was certain they were far enough away from the glass. He set her down again, and they turned to look at the castle in the distance.

"I suppose I should be getting back," Zelda said softly. She ran her fingers through her limp hair, but it refused to stay put as the wind picked up, turning cold. Thunder rumbled in the sky. She paused and turned to Link, smiling. "Thank you… again. You've done so much for Hyrule…"

The storm they'd been waiting for all summer finally broke into a warm rain, as they walked back towards the castle.

/

**I AM SO SICK OF THIS,** Din boomed. She slammed her fist down on the edge of the observing pool, sending a crack of thunder through Hyrule's skies.

Nayru and Farore looked at her in surprise. Farore raised her eyebrows, and Nayru put one hand out to stop Din in her rage.

_WHAT IS IT, SISTER?_ Nayru asked.

**YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS,** Din replied peevishly. **EVERY TIME. EVERY TIME MY SON GOES MAD, AND HIS LIFE MUST BE CUT SHORT.**

YOU KNOW AS WELL AS WE DO; THIS IS HIS FATE, Farore interjected. MY SON SEEKS COURAGE THROUGH HIS DEEDS. NAYRU'S DAUGHTER SEEKS WISDOM THROUGH STUDY, AND PRACTICING HER METHODS OF MAINTAINING A KINGDOM. THIS IS HOW THEY FEED EACH OTHER, TO IMPROVE.

**YOU CAN TALK SO EASILY; YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT SEEK TO SLAUGHTER MILLIONS TO FEED THEIR OWN AGENDA, THEIR OWN NEEDS. **Din summoned Ganondorf's face in the air and touched one cheek sympathetically.

_NO, BUT THEY NEED EACH OTHER TO THRIVE, REGARDLESS. _

**I WANT A TRADE. **

Her sisters looked at Din in surprise.

A TRADE? Farore asked, raising her eyebrows.

**YES. PERHAPS I TAKE LINK; GRANT HIM THE TRIFORCE OF POWER. WE WILL SEE HOW YOU FEEL, FARORE, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR SON BLEEDING OUT ON THE GROUND.**

Farore narrowed her eyes now, and folded her arms. I HAVE WATCHED LINK DIE MANY TIMES, AS MANY AS YOU HAVE WATCHED YOUR SON, she replied.

**BUT WHAT IS A NATURAL DEATH COMPARED TO BEING SLAIN OVER A DESIRE YOU NEVER UNDERSTOOD?**

Farore looked into the pool, where Link was holding his shield over Zelda's head, to keep her dry from the storm. DO NOT ACT AS IF HE HAS NEVER HAD DESIRES HE CANNOT ACT ON, she muttered.

Nayru sighed and ran her fingers over the water of the pool; the storm lessened some. _WHY NOT?_

WHAT?

**WHAT?**

Nayru shrugged her shoulders. _WE SHOULD TRY IT. IT IS ONLY FAIR. IF DIN FEELS THAT SHE IS BEING DISADVANTAGED BECAUSE OF THE CORRUPTING FORCE OF POWER, THEN… SHOULDN'T WE…?_

Farore shook her head. IF WE ARE AGREED… BUT WHO WILL TAKE WHO?

/

Ganondorf clutched at the blade in his chest; Link ripped it free, leaving gashes on his open palm. Ganondorf roared in anguish, slumping to his knees.

"You were too bold for your own good," Zelda muttered angrily, pulling her own sword free. "Would have been better for you, should you have lived as a coward."

Link stepped back and bowed his head as Zelda raised her blade, bringing it down to behead Ganondorf. He cried out, but only for a second as his voice and life were cut down. It was disturbing to see a headless torso on its knees, so Zelda raised one boot and pushed the body over, blood spattering over the cracked earth. Simultaneously, Link and Zelda put the fingers of their left hands to both shoulders, then to their forehead, and then kissed the back of their hands.

"You were wise to see him for what he really was," Zelda said quietly, looking to Link. "Thank you."

"You were the only one who had the strength to help," he replied.

They looked again at Ganondorf, then, silently, they both headed towards the castle.

/

THERE. SATISFIED?

**NO.**

WELL, WHY NOT?

**IT WAS ONLY ONE TIME. TEST IT AGAIN. **

**/  
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Ganon roared in defeat when Zelda's arrows pierced his chest and head. She'd used almost the whole quiver, and finally she'd brought him down long enough for Link to raise the Master Sword against him. He brought the point down upon the red crystal in Ganon's skull, and it shattered. The massive boar-monster screamed in rage and defeat. Link struck again at the place where the crystal had been, and this time the Master Sword sank deep into Ganon's head. Zelda lowered her bow, her hair tangled around her face, and a cut on her lower lip finally starting to clot.

Link slowly removed the sword and cleaned it on Ganon's cape before sheathing it.

"Are you alright?" Zelda asked, gesturing towards the gash on Link's shoulder, from Ganon's claws. Link nodded. Zelda looked around the valley, then back to him. "I need to return. I have to summon the guards; send them to Gerudo, to ensure order among the thieves. They won't take kindly to their leader being put down, even if he was manipulating them."

"Do you want my assistance?" he asked suddenly. "I can lead them there, direct them."

Zelda nodded. "I will appoint you as a consulting knight."

"Don't I have to be knighted for that?" he asked pointedly.

She smiled a little and gestured at him, and Link sank to one knee, putting his left hand to his chest.

/

**I LIKE HIM, **Din said with a grin.

WELL OF COURSE YOU DO. HE HAS YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR NOW.

**YOU'RE BITTER BECAUSE YOU'VE LOST.**

TECHNICALLY; YOU LOST. YOUR SON STILL WENT MAD AND THREATENED ALL OF HYRULE. HE WAS JUST BOLD ENOUGH TO DO IT.

_HOW ARE WE EVEN DETERMINING WINNING AND LOSING IN THIS, AGAIN?_ But Nayru's question went ignored.

Din was pouting, staring into the pool at the three figures.

**YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS… **she started.

WHAT?

**THEY'RE STILL BEING RAISED IN THE SAME ENVIRONMENT. LINK IS STILL STARTING OFF AS A FOREST CHILD, BUT HE HAS THE POWER OR WISDOM TO BETTER HIMSELF. ZELDA IS STILL STARTING AS A PRINCESS, SO SHE IS USED TO POWER, AND IT ALREADY TAKES COURAGE TO RULE ALONE. GANONDORF IS BORN TO THE GERUDO, IN A FAIRLY DESOLATE AND SQUANDERED SCRAP OF LAND; OF COURSE HE IS GOING TO CHASE POWER, OR USE WISDOM, OR BE BOLD ENOUGH TO DO BETTER. **

Farore and Nayru stared at her. WHAT ARE YOU PROPOSING?

**WE NEED TO START THEM OFF IN DIFFERENT BEGINNINGS. LINK CAN BE BORN THE PRINCE OF HYRULE. ZELDA CAN RULE THE GERUDO, WHICH FRANKLY, WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE. AND MY SON CAN BUILD HIMSELF UP FROM NOTHING. PERHAPS THEN HE WOULDN'T GO MAD.**

_BUT WOULDN'T IT SIMPLY FEED HIS CRAVING FOR POWER? HE WOULD CONSTANTLY BE CHASING THE NEXT HIGHER POSITION._

They looked at each other for a few minutes, considering.

VERY WELL, THEN, said Farore, nodding. I THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE MUST DO.

/

Zelda woke up, and stared at the ceiling of her room. She felt a little bubble of nerves and anticipation, and it took her a few minutes to understand why; she and her father were to travel into town today, for her wedding dress. Originally he had planned to have her wear her mother's own, but they discovered forlornly that moths and age had rendered it unwearable. So, he cobbled together some money by doing odd jobs for the other villagers (and some had donated purely out of neighborly affection for them), and they were to travel to the castle market to find her dress.

Zelda could only remember going to the market as a child; her father clung to her hand fiercely as he tried to sell the last of the year's vegetables that would go uneaten otherwise (far too many for the two of them, and neighbors were sick of turnips). Even then she had been somewhat scared and overwhelmed with the vendors, the shoppers, the arguing and the crying of babies not much younger than herself, the stink of shit underlying the delicious smells of seared duck and fresh fruit and flowers. She couldn't remember seeing anyone selling dresses; just bolts of cloth, but it had probably grown. In the worst case, she could enlist help from the fellow women of the village to help her make a gown; she was miserable at sewing.

Her father was up not much longer, and already she'd stirred the coals and added a little wood, building a small fire to warm some biscuits and cold bacon while he went to feed the horses. She fed the chickens while breakfast cooked, and dressed in her favorite green dress over a billowy underdress with long sleeves. They ate, and Zelda tacked the horses while her father stopped at the neighbors to ask them to keep an eye on the house. In the still moments while she waited, she could swear that they would never get going, that something would constantly delay them, and then she would go to wipe down their few dishes or comb her hair, and suddenly every moment was slipping by.

Soon enough, they were on horseback and riding towards town. Her father also had some small bundles packed onto the back of his horse; things he was hoping to sell off in town. Some of those things had been her mother's; she knew, because he had asked her specifically what she had wanted to keep. The rest would go towards her dowry, as would the very horse she was riding.

They waved to the few people they passed, some in the wheat fields that surrounded the village. She looked around actively as they headed beyond the land she was familiar with, trying to see everything at once.

"We'll be coming back through, you'll get a second chance to find everything you missed," her father called to her with a laugh. She nudged her horse to speed up a little.

"Maybe I should've sent you along with one of the women… isn't it bad luck to see a woman in her wedding dress early?"

Zelda shook her head. "Only if it's the groom, I think."

"I have a list of dress shops in the town; we will look as long as we need."

She nodded, but she knew she would take a dress that fit their budget first, regardless of what she wanted. The dress hardly mattered; it was only going to be worn for a few hours, after all!

/

They got to the town after noon, and Zelda forgot her thirst when she saw the sheer number of _people_. Well, of course there would be plenty of them; it was one of the few major markets available in the country. They corralled their horses, having to pay a fee for the space, and Zelda kept a few paces behind her father as they merged into the throng. The smells from her lost childhood memory came back to her, and she knew with certainty that nothing had changed. Maybe people had aged a bit, and new vendors had come round, but beyond that all was the same.

She loitered often behind her father, and from time to time he would turn to her, impatient, and tug her away from the stalls or the entertainers trying to earn a little extra. Again and again he checked the neatly written list of dress shops that one of the village women had written for them; she attended the market every fall to sell homemade quilts and dolls. They drug themselves into every store on the list that was still open.

There were a few dresses that Zelda claimed to enjoy, but her father had known her for too long to believe her false enthusiasm.

"What's the point, after all?" she asked him finally, when her hunger and frustration was at a fine edge. "It's for one day!"

"But it is a girl's most important day," he stressed. "And I want Alejandro to know how much I value you as my child, by getting you the best dress. The one you want."

She muttered angrily to herself. "Fine then," she said with a huff. "Let us head back to the main street."

It was getting near dusk, and she knew they would have to leave soon. Not only were the stalls and shops closing, but a dress and then a stay in a tavern, and the overnight stay for the horses would bankrupt them beyond acceptable levels. But surely her father would come to reason once he saw the price of the dresses in the higher end shops.

In the second shop (the first had already closed for the night), she found a gown that took her by surprise. It was a deep red, with tiny glass pearls and beads sewn in careful, looping patterns along the hem, long close-fitting sleeves, and a low neckline that highlighted her long neck. She stared at it for a long time on one of the dressmaker dummies, until an attendant finally coerced her to try it on. When she had wrestled with the fabric and had the dress buttoned in the back, she went to the mirror and stopped, staring. Even with her simple, country hairstyle and her unmade face…

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she looked at her father, who was also swallowing around a lump in his throat. But she had seen the price tag, and they would have to sell a horse to get it.

"It's alright," she shrugged.

"Oh, don't," her father retorted, shaking his head. "I know it's what you want."

"Maybe we can make something similar. Theona is good with a needle, I know. We can just get some fabric instead. I mean really, it's not that complicated." She craned her head over her shoulder to look at the back, and found the tidy way the seams of the back opened up into huge pleats to form the train of the dress. Maybe it would be a little complicated.

Someone else walked into the shop, then; she looked in curiosity to see a Gerudo woman. She knew them on sight from having seen a few come to their village, to trade or buy (sometimes trinkets, sometimes a husband). She knew her own betrothed had been offered a sum from them a few times. Zelda went back to looking over her dress, finding minor flaws (a loose bead here, a stressed seam there) to put off its purchase.

The door opened again, and with it came boisterous laughter, both masculine and feminine. She looked up again, and found herself facing down the Desert King.

/

Sila's favorite skirt had gotten a rip in it when an overexcited terrier mistook the bangles around her waist for a toy, and lunged at her to claim it. Though her king was laughing over the mistake, she was furious; the proprietor and she had it out for damages (the dog received barely a touch from her open palm!) and finally guards had to come around and hustle her along. Never mind the smelly ghostly crowds of people who were stopping to gawk at her king; he almost never came to the town. He rarely followed his thieves around at all, but the ruler of Hyrule had been making honest efforts to reach out to the Gerudo, and he wanted to make a show of peace between the two by casually wandering through the markets.

Plus, he had not been 'hand-buying' in so long, he'd been teased about going rusty. So far he'd picked up a few new necklaces, some bracelets, and at least three pairs of earrings (the last were harder to get; sellers had gotten wind of his arrival and began to put away their smaller items). But Sila had kicked up quite a fuss over the damn dog, and if spending a few rupees on a new gown for her would shut her up, then he would do so.

He looked around the large store at the assortment of dresses and skirts with a sad frown. Hylian women were so prudish; even showing a wrist was obscene. All the dresses had high collars and long sleeves. The skirts were ankle length, the lot of them, and so many of them designed to fit over petticoats and hoop skirts and enough layers to make a man tired before he got to anything interesting. While Sila haggled with the shop owner over clothes, he wandered through the racks, pausing to look at the dresses in cooler hues, particularly those in blues and greens. They were rare colors, especially in the desert.

"I think I'm ready to go; we can come back tomorrow and find some fabric. I can probably describe the dress pretty well to Theona, an' I bet hers would be even better."

He turned his head, curious about this country accent and its charm. As he looked, Zelda glanced up. Their eyes locked, and though she looked away first, he got the distinct sense that it was not out of defeat. He had been judged, and found… unacceptable? Dismissable? Yes, that was it. That surprised him, and he turned, walking directly towards the woman in red.

"My lady," he said, reaching for her hand. Zelda hesitated, surprised, but she lifted her fingers. He kissed the knuckles and stepped back, bowing low to her father. "And good sir. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Link, King of the Gerudo."

Her father bowed as well, and Zelda offered a quick, ill-practiced curtsy.

"Pleased to meet you, sir," she said in a rush. She'd won the argument with her father, and if she spent any longer staring at the dress she might let him talk her into buying it outright.

"It is an honor for us both, Your Majesty," Zelda's father spoke up.

"Do you come to town often?" he asked.

"No, Your Grace." Zelda did not elaborate, but her father did.

"She is to be wed within a few months. We came to select a dress for the occasion."

"A pity, to be sure," Link said with a little smile. "I was hoping that I could be the one to introduce such a notion to her."

"But don't you have enough wives?" Zelda countered easily.

Her father laughed weakly, though he stared at his daughter for her impertinence. Link laughed as well.

"Come on now, not even I could marry them all if I wanted to. No, no, my lady; they are none of them my wives. And if you were, I would not need another."

"Well I beg your forgiveness, but the deal is all but said and done," Zelda replied curtly. She turned to look for an attendant to be helped out of the gown.

"Please, my lady. I did not mean to offend you." His voice turned low and soft. "Here I have barely known you a few minutes, and I know you will make that man very happy with your beauty alone. Forgive my rudeness." He reached for her hand again, but Zelda did not offer, and soon he let his own hand drop. "May I ask your name?"

She lifted her chin slightly. "Zelda Harkinian."

He nodded. "And who is the lucky man?"

She shook her head. "His name, I will not give."

Link smiled. "Fair enough. Is that the dress, do you think?"

Zelda looked down at her outfit again. "Oh, no. I don't. It's…"

Link turned his head when he heard Sila calling from the other end of the room. She'd finally picked out a skirt, in an eye-tearing shade of coral, and had talked the seamstress in the back into slitting it up both sides almost to the hip. Link turned back to Zelda and her father.

"Perhaps then, I will meet you again?" He bowed to them, Zelda again curtsying and her father returning the gesture. Then, Link turned and headed to settle their bill.

"Are you sure, dear?" her father asked her one more time.

"Yes. It's fine with me."

She called upon an attendant, finally free of Sila's demands, and she was taken to the changing rooms to fit back into her clothes. While she was there, she heard the door open and close, and it grew quiet as the Gerudos were finally gone.

Soon, she was changed, and she and her father headed towards the door.

"Wait! Miss… we need your measurements."

Zelda halted. "Whatever for?"

"For the alterations. For your dress."

"Oh, I was going to shop around…"

"His Majesty of Gerudo said you had chosen that one. The Ruby Divina. Is that not so?" The attendants looked at her with some confusion and worry.

"Well… no. I mean, I'm still shopping…"

"Ah, he must have been mistaken; he was sure that was the one you wanted."

"Look, why does it matter what he says, anyway? It's my dress, none of his business."

"Well, he said he was paying for it as a wedding gift; that's why he told us to make sure you were fitted for it before he left…"

Zelda raised her eyebrows in surprise, and looked at her father, who shrugged and said, simply, "It is a kind gesture, dear. I would take it."

So, reluctantly, she allowed herself to be measured. Her father made arrangements for the dress to be sent to them once the alterations were completed.

"Why do you think he wanted to pay for it?" Zelda asked as they left the shop.

"Perhaps he is simply a generous person, and wanted to wish you well in this way. I can add the money to your dowry, in any case."

"Why don't you hold onto it? You might need it," she replied. "I am sure that we won't need much for the dowry."

He sighed and looked at her, the two of them paused in the walkway near the street. Enough people had gone for the day that there was breathing room in the town, and the crowds left flowed around them, as opposed to pushing them along.

"You are getting so old, now," her father said with a sad smile. "Alej will be a good husband to you. I knew that from the first day I saw you playing together as children."

Zelda hugged her father, closing her eyes against the tears. "Thank you, dad," she said in his ear.

They finally separated, and he patted her cheek. "Come on; we can at least spare money to eat."

/

They were getting their horses after a quick meal, and Zelda turned to look at a brightly lit tavern, loud with noise and talking. She thought she recognized some of the voices, and she stepped towards the building.

"Zelda?" her father called after her.

"I'll be a minute," she replied. She stepped into the tavern, looking around.

The fire was roaring, and the little building was packed, with clusters of bottles and steins on every table. Peanut shells were ground into the hard wood floor, and there was sticky spots where beer and wine had spilled. But above all the din of shouting waiters and arguing chefs was a group of drunk old men, their table adjacent to a massive table where the Desert King and his entourage sat, singing drinking songs. The king was the only one not singing along, but he was keeping time by rapping his knuckles on the table, and he had a little grin of amusement on his face all the while.

"Sit down or move," a waitress snapped from behind Zelda, and so she stepped further inside, making her way carefully over to the Gerudo table. Some of the girls looked up when she got close, and they scooted out of the way, so that she soon stood on the opposite side of the table from him.

"Your Majesty?" she called, lifting her chin.

He started and looked around, gazing at her as if she was there to take his dinner order. When he recognized her, his eyes focused and he broke into a warm smile.

"The Lady Harkinian!" he cried, and she was flattered he'd bothered to remember her name. "Please tell me your betrothed has run off to marry another. I can send Veru after him, if you'd like."

Zelda glanced briefly at the woman he indicated, and she laughed and gave Zelda a little wave, then went back to clapping her hands in time.

"No, nothing like that. I wanted to thank you for your generosity."

"You're most welcome. Consider it a wedding gift, if you must."

"Oh, you were the girl at the dress shop!" cried Sila, who sat to Link's left. She'd been nursing some sort of bright orange drink, and had ignored Zelda until she noticed her king talking to her. "It looked really good on you!"

"Ah, thank you."

"Do you know what jewelry you'll wear?" Sila leaned back, scratching at one ear. She was still wearing the skirt they'd purchased, and Zelda was surprised that she had bare feet, studded with toe rings and ankle bracelets loaded with bells.

"Oh, yeah, I have some things of my mother's. Something old, something new, and all that."

Link got up from the table, scooting around to go to her, and he led her outside to where it was quieter.

"Your Majesty, if I may ask; why did you buy it for me?"

"Like I said, think of it as a gift. I knew you were going to want that dress. If you want, I can even procure jewelry to match; has he a ring for you yet?"

Zelda frowned and pulled away. "Sir. While I appreciate your initial gift, you don't have to do all this."

"But I want to."

"Well, I don't. Another man shouldn't be buying my wedding ring. Despite what you may see when you look at us, my family and my betrothed's family works very hard to earn every rupee, and we do well. Whatever you are trying to do, I won't accept."

Link looked rather embarrassed, and he took Zelda's hand in his. "Please, my lady. Don't be so upset with me. I meant it simply out of good will. Honest."

Zelda looked at him, trying to determine if he was honest, and she finally squeezed Link's hand briefly. "Well. Thank you, all the same."

They stepped back from each other, and at the last second she tugged at his hand. "Would you like to come? To the wedding? You can bring one of your… women."

Link gave her that true, warm smile again. "I would be honored. Please, send me an invitation, so I don't forget."

"I will."

He kissed her hand, and Zelda stepped away, letting go of him and heading to her father and the horses. Link watched her for a minute, and turned to head inside. He went back to his seat, the ladies still leading the place in drinking songs, and Sila put a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to talk in his ear with some privacy.

"Well, did she take your offer?"

"Oh Sila," he answered, shaking his head. "She's not that kind of woman. I can tell."

She shrugged. "Every woman is that kind; they just need a high enough offer."

"Well I didn't make her such a offer, I never got to. And I think you'd find she's more bold than you'd expect." He finished his beer and put some coins down. "I'm going to go lay down. Don't stay up too late."

"Want me to join you?" she asked as he stood up.

"No, not right now." Link gave a little wave to the table, and headed up to the rented rooms in the tavern's second floor.

/

A few weeks later, Zelda's dress was delivered. Her father and the parcellier both urged her to try it on immediately, in case the fit was imperfect. Her father called over one of the other women, Milla, to help button it up. Milla was older, and well ensconced in her farming life. Babies and weddings were her top two subjects of expertise, and she had become a frequent visitor to their house to direct Zelda; when to order items, how many she would need, things of that sort. She finished buttoning the dress and had Zelda do a little twirl, and she gasped in surprise and delight.

"But what a gorgeous dress! Wherever did you find it?"

"Oh, we got it at one of the shops in town."

"Not one of the shops old Marji sent you to?"

"No, a different one."

"My, but what a dress," Milla murmured. "Alej won't know what to do with himself when he sees you."

Zelda smiled, and turned towards Milla. "We should hang it up; I don't need it getting dusty and stained."

Milla helped her out, and Zelda put the dress away carefully in her bedroom. When she went back outside for fresh air, she was delighted to see her betrothed coming up the walk. Alejandro had deeply tanned skin and dark eyes, his normally brown hair was a lighter shade from all his time in the sun, and a farming life had given him a broad chest and shoulders. They embraced briefly, and Zelda invited him in for a cool drink.

Alejandro sipped at his lemonade as they sat at the kitchen table. Zelda also had a glass, and she took her time over it. She smiled at Alejandro whenever they made eye contact, and he returned it at the same time.

"Only a few months left," he said finally.

"Yes. Are you excited?" she asked, suddenly giddy.

He laughed. "Of course I am. Marrying you will be the greatest thing I could do. Until we have children." But he winked, and she laughed as well. When he finished his lemonade, Alejandro turned to her and pulled her close. They kissed deeply, longingly. Since he proposed, they'd been pushing their boundaries physically, trying to see what they could get away with before they were interrupted.

Zelda smiled as they kissed, her hands on his shoulders, his own sweeping some of her hair back from their faces. Her father had left early this morning to help with the harvest at the south end of the village, and he was vague on his return, but she was willing to bet it wouldn't be for a while longer. Slowly, she made her way over until she was in his lap, and there they remained. Eventually though, they stopped to cool off, and she climbed off him, to pour more drinks for them both.

"Come on," he asked softly, tugging at her wrist and looking towards her room.

"Not today," she replied. "But soon."

They moved to the porch soon after, stretching their feet out into the sunny yard. Zelda was content, and calm. She would need to clean the house soon, and maybe start something for dinner, but at the moment she wanted to be right where she was.

And for no reason at all, she thought of the Desert King.

In the next second, words were coming from her mouth. "I invited the king of the Gerudos."

Alejandro frowned and looked at her as if she'd just told him her skin was purple. "What?"

Zelda cleared her throat. "The king of the Gerudo. He might come to the wedding."

"What? Why? When did you encounter him?" Alejandro sat up in surprise.

She had hesitated to tell anyone about the wedding gift of her dress, but it seemed too late to turn it back.

"The dress shop we were in… he had come in because one of the Gerudo had a ripped skirt."

"Then what?" Alejandro was surprised and curious, and he leaned forward to listen.

"Well. I'd been trying on my wedding dress, and he saw me in it." She laughed a little. "He asked me to marry him."

"Did you accept?" Alejandro grinned, and she swatted at him playfully.

"No, of course I didn't. But… well he made me a wedding gift, so I invited him."

"What was the gift? Will I have a Gerudo housekeeper as well?"

"No, it was… my dress, actually."

Alejandro raised his eyebrows. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? Of course I am. He bought me my wedding dress."

He stared at her in surprise. "Well then, if you can get strange men to buy you a dress, I fear what you will be able to make me do."

"You're marrying me, aren't you?"

Alejandro gasped in mock alarm. "What have I done!" he cried. "You siren!"

They laughed over it, and Zelda closed her eyes.

"So he's coming to the wedding?"

"I'm not sure. He didn't give me a proper answer, just asked us to send an invitation."

"He won't be trying to steal you away, will he?"

"Hm, maybe."

"Then I shall challenge him to swords at dawn."

Zelda shook her head. "You know you're the only man for me."

/

That same day, in the morning, the desert king went to the castle, requesting an audience with the king of Hyrule. Sila was dressed her best, in soft muted pinks and ivories, with her hair hanging down her back and curled at the ends. Link had gone with her to negotiate a finalized peace treaty with the Hylian king, and he hoped that offering Sila's hand in marriage would help to bridge the two countries. Gerudo did not do well in wars with Hyrule, no matter how they were carried out. Even a simple boycott of Gerudo goods could create a famine; without money, they could not buy food or the supplies to grow their own in the harsh climate.

But he still had his strong sense of pride; if the deal was unfair in any way, he would refuse it. Gerudo women had worth beyond some chickens and bolts of cloth, and Sila had always been his secret favorite. She would take a high price.

Thankfully, the Hylian king recognized the importance of this meeting, and they waited hardly any time at all before being escorted into his personal quarters, where he did most of the business of the day. The king stood up to greet his guests, and he and Link shook hands.

"Ah, Link. Good to see you again."

"As it is to see you, Ganondorf."

Link and Sila sat down, and Ganondorf leaned back, looking them over with an easy eye, placid as anything.

"This is Sila, one of my attendants."

Ganondorf nodded to her, and Sila bowed her head briefly. Link put on a calm, optimistic expression, but his guts were coiling with dread and revulsion. He should've picked Veru, or Brida. One of the women that could take down a Sheikah, if need be. Not Sila for this… cold, calculating bastard.

"What have you come to offer, then?" Ganondorf asked, looking for a fresh piece of parchment. He was also tired of the embargo on Gerudo; he particularly liked some of the fruit from wild cactuses, and the sand would be useful for making glass for his summer home in northern Hyrule.

"Access to the sands of Gerudo for use in glassmaking, not to exceed more than 8,000 pounds of sand a year, as well as monitored access to the copper mines, not to exceed more than 3,000 hours of total time in one year, and… the lovely Sila, as queen of Hyrule, and a way to bridge our countries."

Sila smiled at Ganondorf and leaned towards him suggestively. Ganondorf eyed her critically, then looked back towards Link. "10,000 pounds of sand a year and 5,000 hours in the copper mines, as well as Sila. If she does not work out after a year…"

Link frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Heirs. Generally, performing the duties of a queen and a wife. Can she please a man however he demands?"

"If we are wed, you would find out, Your Majesty," Sila purred, but Ganondorf ignored her.

"I have no use for a female already used by male hands, either. Unless you hope to send her in pregnant, and form a coup from the womb upon Hyrule."

Link's fists were clenching, and he had gone pale, his eyes hard, but a pleasant smile was back on his face as if they were talking about the weather. "I assure you, Sir. Sila is intact. You can call upon doctors to examine her, if need be. My ladies and I have other ways to… spend the time." He leaned forward, coughing into one hand. "I assure you, I want this peace as much as you do. I want our countries to have a camaraderie." He paused, thinking. "9500 pounds of sand, and 4250 hours in the mines, and Sila's virgin hand in marriage."

They stared at each other from across the desk. Sila waited patiently, but inside she was hot with anger and insult. She was no side of beef, she was a living being. It was all well and good to let the impudent little men talk their talk during these negotiations, but when the deal was struck, she would be certain to set Ganondorf straight on who wore the crown.

Ganondorf stroked his chin, and finally he nodded. "Yes. I think we can finally declare peace."

Link relaxed in relief, and Sila smiled all around. "How good for everyone."

"But of course, I will want her examined before the wedding. Just protecting my country."

"Oh, of course," Link agreed, nodding.

Sila's smile locked up, and she dug her nails into the arm of her chair. Ganondorf called for his notary's seal and his secretaries, and the treaty was rapidly drafted. The three of them signed, and finally, Ganondorf kissed Sila's hand. "My Lady," he said, nodding.

"Sir, may I have one last night at home, to say my goodbyes and pack belongings?"

"Yes. Actually, take your time and enjoy your home until the wedding."

She bowed gratefully, as did Link, and then they were leaving, back towards their coach to head to Gerudo.

Once inside, Link looked at Sila with a sharp stare. "The apothecary's, first thing tomorrow. And you are no longer to take any visitors, no matter their price or pleading."

"Yes, of course." She was frowning deeply now. "And another trip, we'll need a falsepiece for…"

"Yes." They were silent as the coach traveled over the uneven land, back towards the desert.

"I'm sorry for what I said," he added, when he judged Sila had calmed down.

"What part?" she said in a quiet tone.

"All of it. Sila. You know I don't like to treat you that way. It's the custom of these backwards people; women are barely more than cattle to them."

"I know… I just hate that you are marrying me to that man."

"You are a strong woman. I believe in you." He reached for her, she climbed into his lap, and they kissed deeply, longingly. She moved to his neck, and he whispered into her ear as he held her close. "I know that you can break him. Soon, I will be more than just the Desert King."


	2. Chapter 2

A week went by. Sila had gone to the apothecary, requesting a collection of items, some of which were, in the right quantities, her actual goal. When she returned home, she heated water and steeped the concotion, and drank it quickly while hot. She did this several times, drinking down a full pot of water (an expensive amount) to herself. Then, she went to her rooms and waited. It took a few hours, but soon she could feel the cramping in her belly, and she fetched her chamber pot and added sand to it, to absorb the liquids. She hunched over it, gripping one side of her bed to brace herself. She remembered sharply how happy, genuinely happy Link had been, and how she had considered, at the time, asking him to reconsider his plan to marry her off.

"Couldn't it be Tamri?" she asked. They'd been looking at each other, laying in bed and talking softly.

He considered it, but shook his head. "I want it to be you. I trust you more than anyone, and I know you will do anything for Gerudo."

"And you."

"But mostly Gerudo."

She ran her fingers through his hair then down his cheek. "Suppose you'll forget about me," she asked with a shrug. "You'll find a new favorite?"

He reached downward, and she gasped in surprise at his touch. "You're my favorite, always."

Sila whimpered now and tightened her grip; she could feel something inside of her shifting loose, and there was a wet slapping noise in the chamber pot. She clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead; before lover, before queen, before wife, she was a soldier, one of the Desert King's elite. She swore to do as he commanded first. If it meant aborting their child, if it meant marrying a loathsome stranger, then she would do so, for their country.

And him.

/

Zelda hated to admit it, but her stubborn nature had failed her.

Her father had gone to work in the fields, and he'd told her he may be out later than usual, to settle some matters in her wedding plans, only a month or so away now. She knew by his wink that he would actually be at Garris' place, sitting up and drinking while playing cards or stones. It was something he only did monthly, though she had encouraged him to do so more often.

Especially lately.

She lit a candle in the kitchen and placed it on the sill, looking through the glass to Alejandro's house, soon to be her house. She smiled when she saw the candle in his kitchen going out, and she unlatched the front door, making sure her dress was safely hidden from his eyes in her room.

She sat in the kitchen, with a few extra candles lit, and waited.

It didn't take long, and he was there, opening the door and looking at her, his eyes bright.

"Hey."

"Hey, you." Zelda stood, suddenly nervous. "Did… you want something to drink?"

"Sure. Um." She could tell by his slightly bewildered expression that he was nervous as well. "Anything hard?"

She got them both a small glass of beer, and they returned to the kitchen table, sitting down. In silence, they drank. She was grateful for the warmth and the fluidity alcohol lent her, and she looked at Alejandro now with a little smile.

"Not much longer," she said quietly.

"No, not at all."

"Soon, I'll be Zelda Fulson."

"Yes." He reached out and took her hand, touching the ring on her finger. It was a pretty little band of hammered gold, with a green stone set into it, barely a chip. She'd only had it a few weeks. Zelda licked her lips and looked at him. It should be so easy, she couldn't help but think. She'd known him since she was a child. Every milestone in their lives, they had shared. Birthdays of great significance, losing teeth, and of course their first kisses were each other.

"When will your father be home?" he asked suddenly.

"I don't know. Late, I suppose."

"I love you," he said suddenly, looking into her eyes.

She smiled a little. "I love you, too." She stood up, holding his hand tight, and she tugged gently at his grip. "Come on."

They headed into her room. Alejandro shut the door behind them, leaving them in the dark of a moonless night. All they had between them was touch. She sat down on her bed and pulled him towards her, and he fumbled down onto the bed.

It was over quickly; a little too quickly, but her heart was pounding and his hands were shaking a little on her shoulders as he nestled into her neck, panting softly. She closed her eyes, feeling warm and content, and she ran her fingers through his hair, dabbing at the sweat on his forehead.

"Remember when… I dared Tomas to run naked through the village at midnight when we were younger?"

Zelda laughed. "What made you think of that? Because I'm not going to run naked through the village, if that's what you're thinking."

He laughed too. "No, no. But… I dared him, and he got all mad and said he wouldn't do it, and you said you would…"

"And he decided if a girl would do it, he might as well?"

"And then Old Marji was out feeding the cats and saw him and screamed about seeing a ghost?"

"Because she wasn't wearing her glasses, and he was so pale because it was during winter?"

In unison, they shouted, "A ghost! A ghost!", mimicking the old woman's frantic cries as she had rushed through the village, and they started laughing until they near-cried. When they quieted again, Zelda pressed herself closer to Alejandro, and she kissed his forehead.

"Again?" she whispered.

Alejandro leaned back a little to look at her. "Are you serious?"

"Well, if you don't have the energy…"

He found the energy.

/

The castle was sweltering in the midsummer heat, especially in the room where three doctors and Ganondorf waited. Sila was lying on her back on the guest bed, several layers of cheap muslin spread underneath her, her skirt hiked up. She was chewing hard on her lower lip. Veru and Brida were in one corner, dressed in their usual garb aside from the wicked, curved swords they wore on either hip. They watched the men carefully. Link had declined to join them, saying he understood these were private matters. In truth, he did not know if he would be able to face Sila after this indignity he'd forced her through.

The doctors carefully probed and studied, muttering to each other. Veru and Brida were sweating with the heat and worry. Finally, one of the doctors straightened and wiped his hands on a rough cloth.

"We have examined her, and determined she is as promised. Intact."

Ganondorf nodded. "Good." Veru and Brida adjusted their weight, taking relaxed stances. He turned to them now. "Thank you for your time. You may take her home."

Sila sat up, giving herself a gentle wipe with a cloth offered by a doctor, and Veru took her arm, helping her to the door. They said nothing, but they bowed before exiting.

Brida led them to the coach and opened the door, helping to lift Sila in. Once they were out of the castle grounds entirely, Sila sighed and let her head slump back against the wall.

"Finally, I can take the damn thing out," she muttered, pulling her skirt to one side. "That was, quite possibly, the worst experience I have ever had with a man, and I didn't even get anything out of it."

"You'll be the queen of Hyrule, I call that something," Veru offered.

Sila rolled her eyes and wiped her hands off on a rag offered from Brida, tucking the thin piece of hide into it and rolling it up. "He'd better make sure the new plan works, is all I have to say."

Brida turned away from the window. "Do you think it will work?"

"Well, I don't know. Ganondorf saw through our original plot, so we'll need something more creative. Link hasn't really discussed anything with me. He needs time."

/

Alejandro bowed his head, and Zelda placed the wreath of flowers on his crown. After a pause, he did the same for her, and then they took turns giving each other wine in a large, shallow wooden bowl. When they had both drank a mouthful, the officiant declared them wed, and they kissed. The crowd of villagers stood, cheering and applauding, and in the back was Link and his 'harem', who had arrived a little later than intended, but still showed up, regardless. Sila, however, was not there; within a week, she was to be wed, and she had taken up residence at the castle to prepare and learn their customs.

The chairs were moved out of the way and tables were brought into place. Any attempts to help from the guests of honor were politely refused, so the Gerudos stood around somewhat awkwardly while Zelda thanked those who had come.

Fires were being stoked up, heavy dishes being placed deep in the coals. Kegs and jugs were rolled out, and one small keg, meant just for the bride and groom, was placed at their table of honor. One by one, the attendees walked up to present them with a gift and to wish them well. Link chose to go last, and to Zelda's surprise, he presented them with two gifts; wooden boxes with intricate carvings, and inlaid woods in different colors. Alejandro's was much larger than Zelda's, and its carvings were sharp, straight lines. Her own had very delicate, rounded shapes in the wood.

"But Your Majesty, is my dress not…?"

"I would not have felt right coming without an additional gift to present to you both."

Alejandro opened his box first, and gasped in delight as he carefully lifted out the longbow inside. "Your Majesty!" He touched the string, which was neatly rolled up and tied with a ribbon on one end.

"Gerudo horse hair," Link told him with a nod. There was even a quiver and some arrows.

"It is a custom that the king presents the man of a wedded couple with a bow and arrow on their wedding day, to invite him to join in the hunt. Usually, because we have to… marry in Hylian men, it is a way of introducing them to our people and calling them one of us."

Alejandro nodded. "I'm honored. Thank you. Perhaps we will go hunting one day."

Link nodded, then the two of them looked to Zelda.

Carefully, Zelda opened the box. Inside was a long, thin dagger, with an ornamental jeweled hilt. It also came with a tiny leather sheath.

"It is tradition in Gerudo that women are presented with a blade on significant days in their life, as a way to recognize their next step towards adulthood. Their first… cycle, their wedding day, days like that." He gestured as Zelda removed the weapon from the box. "That is a little smaller than would normally be carried on a woman's wedding day, but I felt it best to make it… unobtrusive."

She and Alejandro both bowed their heads in thanks, and Link gestured towards Alejandro, looking him in the face.

"So you're the one who beat me to her?"

He grinned a little. "Yes, Your Majesty. You didn't stand a chance, I've known her my whole life."

Link stepped close to the table, and his face became very quiet and serious, and Zelda could swear that she felt the air crackle. Something in his expression unnerved her, and she put one hand to her new dagger's handle.

"Take care of her," Link ordered him.

Alejandro's face dropped into an expression of surprised seriousness, and he nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty."

Link stepped back, and his sharp look went soft and calm. "Very good then. We should celebrate."

/

It had been bugging him for a long time, that he felt so protective of Zelda. He barely knew her. When he looked at her, he felt a struggle inside himself; to keep her safe, but also to be very wary of her. He considered that it was her shameless defiance of him that put him on edge. He wasn't used to it, and he admired it in her as a bold move. He also disliked it, simply because it was the rejection of him, a king. Perhaps, though, if he made an effort. If he showed her how much better their way of life was; the women, independent and able to do as they pleased. Surely, her… _Alejandro_ was the same as the rest of these country fools. He would have Zelda heavy with child within a month, when she could be a soldier in Gerudo. Part of the new army.

That was an idea. Surely, even Ganondorf could fall to the allure of a woman. He was marrying Sila soon, wasn't he? But what of beyond that, if Ganondorf found he had a craving for more local flesh, and a beautiful woman with blond hair was sent in, with a dagger hidden in her hand…

He snapped his attention back to the dance, but he let his mind work over the plan, knitting it together. It would be years in the making, but he was confident it could happen.

When the song was over, he kissed Tamri's hand, and she went to go sit. In the meantime, he turned to approach Zelda, to ask her for the next dance.

"May I?" he asked Alejandro, lifting one hand.

"Certainly, Your Majesty," he replied, reluctantly letting Zelda go. She smiled at him, and turned to the Gerudo king, letting him take her back towards the dancing space.

"You are breathtaking tonight," he told her. "I regret even more that I could not convince you to join me."

Zelda laughed. "You are only saying that because you have been staring at your own women for so long. You've forgotten there's other kinds."

"No, I mean it with you." He touched her cheek, and Zelda pulled away, her smile fading.

"Your Majesty, stop it. I invited you out of goodwill, do not make me regret this decision."

"I apologize," he said quickly. "I… it just seems a waste. I see potential in you, and you will stay here and have children and live a content wifehood?"

"What is so wrong with that? Maybe it's what I want."

"I see more for you. You could be one of my soldiers. You have the spirit for it."

Zelda arched one eyebrow, looking at him incredulously. "A soldier? Don't you have to start training for that at a young age?"

"I believe you're smart enough to catch up easily."

"Well, no. I'm married now, and I want to be with my husband." She shrugged. "Sorry."

"Yes, but the marriage isn't consummated; you can have it annulled quickly enough."

Zelda looked away. It was now Link's turn to raise an eyebrow. "He didn't force you, did he?"

"What? What? No! How dare you accuse him of such a thing!" she hissed.

Relieved, Link chuckled. "You're not so typically Hylian as I thought."

"What do you mean? I was never deadset on waiting for our wedding night. Few girls are; unless they're higher up in Society, they're so very concerned with bloodlines and heirs. And I'd always known that Alej and I would be together."

Link stepped back. "If he ever gives you trouble, please. Let me know."

Zelda stared into his face and frowned. "… why do you care so much? Why am I so important to you?"

He shrugged, somewhat helplessly. "I wish I could say. But… you're to be kept safe. That's all I think when I look at you."

The song ended after a few minutes, and they pulled away. Zelda went back to Alejandro, even though she did glance over her shoulder at the king curiously.

After a beat, Link went to collect his girls, and they left the party with a departing wave. He spoke little on the ride home, staring out the window at the moonlit lands of Hyrule.

/

And so, a week later, Sila and Ganondorf were wed. Link and most of the Gerudo took up one side of the church, while Ganondorf's council and selected nobility took up the other half. Sila was gorgeous in a blush pink gown with long sleeves and a train that dragged on the floor behind her. The ceremony was long; there was both a Hylian priest and a Gerudo officiate presiding. They lit candles, recited vows, and drank from a shared cup of wine, before finally putting a cold, dry kiss on the whole deal, to polite applause from the witnesses.

They walked out, hand in hand, and climbed into the royal carriage. Sila's heart was pounding. Her time at the castle had been spent learning its layout, trying to find secret passages or hidden doors. She'd found a few; one was a tunnel that led to a small, quiet garden, but from there she couldn't find anywhere else to go. In her own rooms, the secret passage led down to the maids' quarters, presumably so they could bring up fresh linens and things when necessary. She wanted to explore the king's chambers, but it seemed completely inaccessible.

They traveled the short distance from the cathedral back to the castle, and there was another crowd there, lining their path to the doors in silence, waiting to see their queen. Ganondorf stepped out first and held his hand out for her, and she climbed down, looking at the people. They were staring at her as she walked out, following Ganondorf. As she passed, they began reluctant applause, so at least in a way, she had some sort of approval from them. On the other hand, what if they left it alone, and made it a legitimate marriage? He seemed such a quiet and reserved man, and she barely knew him. It wasn't that she didn't think Link could do the country a world of good, but she doubted that any of their plans would come to fruition, if he was as wise as he was reported to be.

They sat down in the great hall for their first meal together, and she was surprised to see a few of her favorite dishes from home.

"I thought it would be appropriate that we should have both foods on the table. We are a union of two cultures, and we should treat it as such," Ganondorf said, looking to her.

She offered him a sweet smile in exchange. "Thank you, sir. I am honored by this."

They waited for all the guests to file in, and Ganondorf stood to give a brief speech thanking everyone for celebrating with them.

"Today is an important day for our countries. Today is the day where we hope to strengthen the bonds between Gerudo and Hyrule, to improve the situations of all people. No longer will we consider this… two countries. From now on, it is one country, united under the Goddesses' will, for the better of all." He lifted his glass. "Cheers."

The company drank.

/

After the meal, there was dancing, of course, and Sila was glad when Link finally asked her for a dance. She held onto him tightly, and she was aware of how sharply she missed him.

"How are you faring, here?" he asked her.

"All is well enough. My rooms are large, I have ladies-in-waiting to tend to my every need."

"How does he treat you?"

She shrugged. "We haven't spoken much. I plan on laying with him tonight, hopefully then I can learn more about him."

"Your rooms?"

"I'm thinking of redecorating. It's somewhat dark in there; some extra openings will brighten it up." She winked at him, and he nodded once. Some secret passages, good.

"Will you get to the king's rooms as well?"

"No, I don't think so. He's very private."

Link gave her a little squeeze. "You're the second woman I've danced with this week that I cannot have."

"How was her wedding?"

"Simple. Rustic."

"Did she like the knife?"

"Yes, she did."

"I told you it would be a good idea. Have you talked to her at all about joining us instead?"

"She's quite devoted to her husband. In fact, she told me she was devoted to him before the ceremony."

Sila grinned. "No hope for you, now."

"No, I suppose not."

The ceremony was still under way when Sila and Ganondorf retired. He escorted her to her rooms, and she paused with her hand on the door.

"My lord, it is our wedding night. Will you join me?"

He stared at her for a few minutes, then nodded once. "Yes, I suppose I should."

They went inside her rooms, and Sila began to undress.

"I will help you," he demanded.

"Yes, sir."

He walked up to her and began undoing her dress in silence.

"Do you miss your home?" he asked her, as he undid the lacing and buttons.

"Of course, but my home is here with you, now. I'm honored to be with you."

He was silent for a while longer, until finally her dress was undone and he turned her around. She pulled it away, stepping out of the heavy cloth, and she went to undo his clothing.

"Never mind with that; I will do so myself," he said, taking her hands. "Go on and lay down."

She nodded and climbed onto the bed, curling her legs under her to wait. He removed his cape and neatly hung it over a chair, then pulled away the layers until he was bare-chested.

"Come here," she murmured to him, gesturing with her open palm, trying to look alluring and sensual. He sat down on the bed, and she crept in, kissing him, running her hand down his chest and inside of his trousers, trying to bring his desires to the surface.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked him, shifting and touching her tongue to his ear.

He sighed. "Just lay down."

"Alright." She smiled at him and relaxed, half-propped on the pillows on the bed. He climbed over her, and kissing her once, he lowered himself, to perform just another kingly duty.

He left when finished, after a few minutes of resting on the pillows. Sila was disturbed; she'd barely broken a sweat, and they'd said nothing throughout the whole exchange. She tried to encourage more, but he ignored her every attempt. And all he said before he went out the door, was "Good night."

She put a pillow under her rear to keep her hips elevated, so that nothing would be lost, and she stared up at the ceiling. And barely a smile the whole day. Did he enjoy anything at all? Sila pondered the island that was Ganondorf for a little while longer, until she was sure everything was contained. Then she pulled back the covers and climbed underneath for sleep, where she would dream of nothing.

/

A few months passed. Zelda was waiting in Linna's house, sipping a small cup of tea and jiggling one foot nervously. Linna was the village midwife and general women's counsel, and Zelda hoped that she was not being silly over nothing by coming to her now. But she'd lately been… more lustful than usual, even to where Alej had commented that he was just a man, and if she continued he would call up the Desert King to take care of her. Link was a bit of a running joke between them, though he hadn't called on them since the wedding. Sometimes she thought he was a little jealous of Link with his collection of women.

Finally, Linna appeared from one of the spare rooms in her house, and she smiled warmly at Zelda, pushing her dark hair out of her face. "Stand up, then."

Zelda did so, setting down the cup, and she followed Linna into another room.

"Lay down on the bed."

Zelda did as asked, her heart fluttering.

"How are you and Alej?" Linna asked casually, as she took up a bowl filled with a bitter-smelling blend of herbs, adding a squeeze of fresh lemon.

"Fine, fine. He's working every day in the fields, but he's been planning to go hunting soon."

"Oh? What is he after?"

"Deer, mostly. Something he can cure for winter before it gets too cold."

"Yes, that is wise." Linna lifted Zelda's outer dress and gently pressed into her stomach, her eyes half-closed as she concentrated. She took Zelda's heart rate and temperature, then she began soaking her hands in the warm water. "Lift your skirts, please."

Zelda winced as Linna examined her, and soon the woman was again wiping her hands clean, smiling.

"Congratulations, Lady Fulson. You are indeed pregnant."

Zelda sat up in amazement, and she burst into tears. "Are you sure?"

Linna nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. By several weeks."

Zelda started laughing, and she grabbed Linna, hugging her tight. "Oh! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Are you going to go tell your husband the good news?"

"I might wait until he gets home."

She lasted for about an hour of waiting at home until she gave up, and pulled on a coat. The winds of winter had started to come through the land, and she didn't want to catch a cold.

Zelda walked out towards the wheat fields where he'd been working, trying not to run in case it jostled the baby and induced a miscarriage. She hoped it was a boy; a tough little boy with Alejandro's curled hair and her blue eyes.

She met him halfway; he wore a thin jacket, though he was sweaty from threshing.

"Zelda!" he called in surprise when he saw her. "Is everything alright?" He took her hand, holding it tightly. She couldn't stop smiling, and every time she tried to force out the words, her throat closed up. Finally, she put his hand to her belly.

"We… I'm…" she started.

Alejandro dropped his tools.

/

Link had more letters than usual—there were two today, waiting neatly on his desk. One of them was in Sila's tidy hand, and he opened it first, quickly, reading through her careful code. She was with child. Ganondorf's child, assuredly. He sighed in relief. Now their position was secured, and the Gerudo would forever have a bloodtie with the Hylian kingdom. He scanned the document; she had still not had access to Ganondorf's rooms, but she was certain she would soon get into them. She was going to bribe one of the maids to follow Ganondorf soon, and she hoped to have more information for the next letter.

The other letter was from another planted spy, an ex-pat Hylian, who acted as a castle guard. Ganondorf had three secret passages in his quarters. One led to the maids' quarters, one led to a secret staircase that went outside and down a narrow ramp to safety, and the last was locked. The guard surmised that Ganondorf always held the key on his person. Link would be sure to forward the information to Sila. He hoped that she would be able to seduce him, to see what was inside the locked passage.

He went outside, to walk in the desert and clear his head. Ganondorf had little sexual appetite; just enough to impregnate Sila, and none beyond that. Her charms were ineffective against him.

He went and surveyed the copper mines for a bit. Hylians were in there constantly, excavating as much of the ore as they could. He watched them for a while, then he turned back and headed into the fortress. Perhaps there was a way he could help Sila; if there was some way he could connect with Ganondorf, and help her find his weaknesses. He went back to his desk, to write a letter of his own.

/

For a long time, Ganondorf had exercised self-control. He had to. When he was a child, his mother noticed how he would fly into uncontrollable rages, after a long period of bottling up his emotions, he would snap. Screaming fits, thrashing on the floor in rage as a toddler, and it escalated with each fit, until one day, at twelve years old, he wend blind, waking up an hour later with his new puppy laying dead, its neck broken and bleeding from the eyes.

The puppy was disposed of, and no one made any comments, but his nurses gave him a wide berth from then on, and his parents distanced themselves from him. When he felt the rage coming upon him, he would go into the woods, attacking the wildlife. As he aged, it became harder to control. Only once had he not been able to control himself in front of another person; a girl who'd been doggedly pursuing him had managed to corner him at a hated and loathed ball. Carefully, he released his rage, feeling the power in it pulsing at his temples.

Next he knew, the girl was laying on the floor, her face red and her throat bruising. He'd been choking her, watching the life slowly ebb from her with each fading breath, and he was _so close_

She left him alone after that. Many people did. And then his parents passed away (none of his business!) and he was crowned, and here he was. So yes, he took Link's offer of Sila. He knew no other woman in Hyrule would take him. And heirs were one of the few ways he knew to establish immortality, if his other methods failed him.

He took the key from around his neck and unlocked the third secret passage in his rooms. It was a dark, cool hallway, leading to a small cement room. Ordinarily, it was a safe room for the king and queen, or a space to store important treasures and documents. For him, it was sort of a treasure room, but far darker. In the room was a low, round altar made of a stone slab, carved with arcane imagery. The stone in the middle was well-worn and stained with dried blood, some patches thicker than others. Wooden shelves lined three of the four walls, stacked with vials and carefully preserved animal parts, whether dried or kept in brine in airtight jars. And books. Dozens of them. Old, aging, yellowed, some mildewed with age and the continual damp of the room. Books on immortality, eternal life. So many of them simply discussed theories or the morality involved in toying with such matters, things he had flipped through and disregarded. But holding onto them was better than throwing them out to have them discovered.

He touched the dozens of volumes, running his hands along the spines. Sila, pregnant with his child, who would hopefully become the vehicle to preserve his immortal being. The pattern was in one of his books, but he had to find it again. He thought of her as he looked. Whenever she tried her female ploys on him, he felt the surges of hatred and violence, intermingled with a lust he had not known in a long time. So he ignored them, and he turned cold towards her. An attack, or even the death, of his queen would be a negative thing indeed.

He thought he had finally found the book, and he opened it to start looking.


	3. Chapter 3

Sila laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Despite the fire in the grate and the warming pot the maids had passed through her sheets, she was frigid. She was under three comforters and a fur blanket, and she curled around her rounded belly protectively, to keep their child warm. She was waiting; Ganondorf had been out on a hunt all day, and she hoped to use the cold as an excuse to get inside his bedchambers and maybe get the key on his neck.

At long, long last, when the weak sunlight in her room grew dim, she heard the announcer faintly calling out that His Majesty had returned from the hunt, and there would be a feast on the deer and pheasants he had brought down. Sila sat up, snapping awake instantly. He would want to change before the feast, his hunting clothes would be soaked from snow and blood. After a while, she heard his boots thumping past her room, towards his own. She held her breath, counting down until the boots faded, and after a pause there was the muffled sound of a heavy door shutting. She waited even longer yet, and finally she forced herself from the warm sheets, placing them back to keep warm, and wrapped herself in her heavy robes and boots.

She left her rooms, and she thought she could hear the hunting dogs still baying outside as they were being kenneled. She stopped at the door to his rooms, closed and imposing. Sila touched the door lightly with her fingertips, stroking the texture of the wood, then she knocked sharply.

No response.

She knocked again, a little harder. "My Lord?" she called out.

Still, nothing.

He was in the last locked passage, he had to be. She looked at the lock, reaching one finger inside the keyhole and trying to feel around, but it was too small. Sila glanced around, then removed a pin from her hair. She opened it up, and carefully started fishing around in the lock. Lock-picking had never been one of her specialties, and all she ended up doing was wasting time, until she realized that thumping sound was boots, not her heart, and she immediately pulled the pin back and raised her hand as if to knock again, when the door opened and it was her dear husband standing there in surprise.

"My lady?" he said, somewhat bewildered to see her there. As she spoke, she looked him over; his hair was slightly askew, and his clothes were hastily thrown on and half-done. There was a faint stink in the air, of decaying blood and rotting meat, and other sour, sharp smells, including the smell of a few herbs she recognized, and they startled her.

"I apologize for disturbing you," she said quickly, sweetly. "But my rooms are absolutely frigid, and perhaps I could keep warm if…" She ran one hand over her belly to accentuate the baby curve there. Ganondorf looked it over, then back to her face. He nodded, and almost seemed to smile in a relaxed way; in fact, he seemed more at ease than she recalled ever seeing him. He stepped back.

"Come in, please."

There was a maid at the fire grate, and she paused in her work to curtsy to Sila. Sila immediately went to the bed and climbed in, feeling foolish. It was far colder than her own rooms, because no one had warmed the bed in hours. She looked to the maid, saying "make sure to dampen the fire in my chambers," and the maid nodded.

Ganondorf was thumbing through books at his table, and looking over a ledger. The stink was starting to fade, replaced with the cleansing smell of burning wood. Sila looked around the room curiously, as it was the first time she'd been in, and she also wanted to see if she could identify the secret passages.

"How does your work go?" she asked idly. Behind that tapestry was one, possibly…

"It goes. We've hauled almost 2300 tons of sand from the desert. It's being manufactured into bottles and glass panes. Your country will get a cut from the profits, naturally."

Sila smiled at him and ducked her head. "It is good of you to think of my country so favorably."

"The copper from the mines is fashioning pipes; I have a man who believes he can devise a system to deliver water directly to where it is needed without the use of buckets or excessive manpower."

"How fascinating," she replied, snuggling under the covers and turning towards him, one arm on her hip. "How was the hunt?"

"Quite good. Felled two deer, and eight pheasants." All the while he was busily writing, and whether it was balancing accounts or an erotic story, his face revealed nothing.

"My lord? I feel I would be much warmer if you were here…" she said, letting her voice trail off with implications.

"One moment, love," he replied automatically.

Sila raised her eyebrows, but Ganondorf did not see the small gesture. He'd never said that word to her before, not even when she told him of her pregnancy, not even on their wedding night. And for a moment, she thought again of telling Link to surrender their plans, because maybe they could survive this union, and maybe Ganondorf was not that miserable of a leader after all.

She looked at him, and she saw a chain running down under his shirt, which had come partly open to show a key, glinting, its end somewhat grimy with blood.

/

Link was irritated. Sila's latest letter informed him that no, she still had not made any progress in getting access to the secret chambers he'd told her of, but she at least was able to enter his rooms when he was in a fair mood. Perhaps, also, Sila would be too noticeable. The queen, skulking around her husband's chambers, trying to find secret passages for reasons she could not reveal? He thought over this problem for a while, and though he had instantly come up with a solution, he was reluctant to act on it, because he knew how his soldiers would react in almost all situations. His solution did not involve one of his soldiers.

/

Zelda answered the knock as quickly as she could, still drying her hands on a towel from working on the dishes. When she opened it to see Veru standing there and shivering, her eyes widened, and she looked past her to the magnificent coach that was waiting, surrounded by some of the villagers' children staring in curiosity.

Veru handed her a letter, and Zelda looked it over, then up at her. "When does he want me to visit?"

"Most immediately, my lady," Veru replied.

"Whatever for?"

"He has an opportunity he thinks you would do well in."

Zelda frowned, peeking out at the sun. "Will I be back before dusk?"

"Hopefully," Veru answered.

"Let me get my coat."

Zelda slung the thin wool over her shoulders, and put on her boots. Being so far south of the castle, they did not get as bad of a winter season, but it was still cold enough to frost everything overnight and leave them seeing their breath if Alej didn't stoke the fire. She wrote a quick note that she would be back, weighting it on the kitchen table with a heavy stone in case he got home before her, and followed Veru into the carriage.

They weren't on the ride long when she felt tired and headachey. It happened often in her pregnancy, and Linna assured her it was quite normal. She rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, hoping she would be able to nap it away.

When she woke up, she immediately removed her jacket, feeling far too hot. But it had been the stopping of the carriage that had woken her up most.

"Do you remember your dream?" Veru asked her quietly.

Zelda looked at her in surprise. "My dream?"

"You were talking in your sleep. But… I couldn't understand much of it. It was like another language."

Zelda tried to think back, but there was nothing but blackness, and she shook her head. Veru shrugged it off, and led her into the fortress.

Zelda was surprised to see the structure; it looked nothing like what she had pictured his castle would be. It was all flat roofs and square angles, no phallic towers or open-air bedrooms. She followed Veru into the Great Hall and was asked to stay there, and Link was requested.

He smiled as he walked up to her, stopping when he noticed the roundness of her stomach. "You're pregnant?" he exclaimed. "Why did you take the carriage ride? Did you want to lose the child?" He looked for Veru and snapped at her. "Did you not notice? You should have left and took me to her, instead!"

Veru barely flinched. "I assumed she simply got fat. These Hylian women wear so many layers."

Zelda narrowed her eyes in a frown, and Link rolled his eyes. "Next time, ask, damn it." He turned to his guest. "My apologies. Did you do well on the ride? How are you feeling?"

She walked with him through the building, noticing the women _everywhere_, and all of them carrying either a spear or a curved sword. "The ride was fine. I slept through most of it. I've been tired, but otherwise, the same."

He'd led them to a long table, meant for the evening meals, and he invited her to sit next to him, gesturing for some snacks and cool drinks to be brought over.

"How is Alejandro? Does he like the gift I got him?"

"Yes. He's actually hunting right now, and he takes it with him."

"I hope you have not had to use your gift, yet."

"No." She thanked the woman that brought over a plate and two glasses, pouring them both weak, cold wine. The plate had some thin slices of cured pork, along with fresh fruit. She went for the fruit first; sweets were her top craving.

"Do you know what you are having?" he asked, wrapping a piece of melon with some of the pork.

"No. I refuse to do the ring test. I want a surprise. Though… I hope it's a boy." She put one hand protectively to her stomach, as she always did.

"Maybe you could name him after me, eh?" he said with a little laugh.

She shrugged and smiled at him. "Maybe. So. What is it you wanted me out here for?"

"Two friends cannot chat openly about their lives?" he countered, tilting his head.

Zelda's smile was hard around the edges. "Sure they can. But how are we friends? You're a sleazy sort-of king of a barren land and I'm a country woman, expecting her first child. We barely have anything in common."

Link raised one eyebrow, his expression also going stern. "You would do well to watch your words, my lady."

"What do you want? Why did you drag me out here?" Zelda was irritated now, but at least they'd dropped their pretense of any niceties.

Link drummed his fingers on the table, and looked back into her face. "If any of what I am about to tell you leaves this room, even said to your husband, I will have both your throats slit, and your baby torn from your womb and thrown into the Hylian river. Alright?"

Zelda stood abruptly, shoving her chair back and knocking it down. "Don't you dare threaten me." She glanced out of the corner of her eyes, seeing some of the women stopping in their tasks, and slowly approaching the two of them.

"Zelda, sit down," Link commanded.

"No. Go hang yourself. I will not be pulled into your little games because you're mad I never laid with you."

"You think that's what this is about? Why do you think I sought you instead of just using one of my own soldiers?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I barely know you, and I don't wish to." She stepped back. "I'm leaving."

"Zelda." He stood up. "Do you trust your king?"

She frowned. "He barely rules me. I don't give a care what he does."

"You might, if he were to make himself immortal."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. No one is immortal." She folded her arms, glaring at him.

"And I am telling you, he might be one day. Please. Sit back down."

Zelda hesitated, but she bent to pick up her chair. On her way, she winced, and Link stopped her with one hand to her arm.

"I'll do it." He lifted the chair and tucked her back in at the table, sitting in his own. After a pause, he started to talk.

"There is a reason I selected Sila specifically to marry Ganondorf. She is my most trusted soldier, I have known her the longest of all of them. I did not marry her to him to get rid of her. I chose her so that she could watch him."

He reached into one pocket and pulled out one of Sila's letters, showing it to Zelda.

"She writes to me in a specific code. In this letter, where she mentions drafts in her room, it means she has been able to find specific hidden passages. She talks briefly about her maids in the next line, so that tells me one leads to the maids' quarters. I received another letter from another spy of mine, telling me he knows the king has such passages in his rooms, but one is always locked, and he wears the key around his neck."

He went back into his pocket, taking out another piece of paper.

"This is another letter from Sila. She describes that she visited her dear husband after one of his boar hunts in the South Woods, and smelled some very specific herbs and other foul scents in his room. The herbs are long believed to be involved with longevity, possibly immortality."

Zelda put one hand on Link's wrist. "Is… is the hunting trip a line? A code?"

"What? No. I presume that's what he would have told her."

Zelda frowned. "There's… there are no boars in the South Woods. They live to the west, on the land bordering Termina."

Link went still. "Are you quite sure?"

"Yes, my father hunts from time to time. When he wants pork, he goes west. When he wants rabbits, he goes south."

Link nodded slowly. "So your king is also lying to her."

"Could he be seeing another woman?" Zelda offered. Despite herself, she was intrigued with this mystery.

"Highly doubtful. From Sila and my spy's reports, he has never invited anyone into his rooms, not even his wife, until she went and forced herself in. She was surprised when she was pregnant by him, he touches her so rarely."

There was a new, bitter tone to Link's voice, and Zelda nodded to herself. "You love her."

"Of course. Of course I do. She…" He cleared his throat and laughed a little. He hadn't realized how hard this was to talk about, probably because he had never bothered to do so. "I had to command her to abort our child before the marriage."

"Oh Goddesses." Zelda felt a cramping of sympathy in her belly, and she put her hand to it. Link looked at her and his brow knitted in worry.

"I apologize; I've made you uncomfortable. Please; it was important to our country. I will not ask you to do such a thing, if you decide to follow through."

"How can I help you like this? What purpose can I serve?"

"Let me finish getting through this." He cleared his throat and downed the rest of his wine in one gulp. "There are rumors that he has a wicked temper, that he almost murdered a girl when he was younger, because she had offended him with some slight. Why do you think he had to wait until I practically thrust a wife into his face? No woman in Hyrule would marry him because of his violence."

"So he has a temper and may dabble in alchemy. Why do you need me, again?"

"I want you to spy on him as a maid in the castle. I do not trust that man, and I know he is up to something. And his lie about boar-hunting. I want to know what he is really doing out there."

"Won't it look odd if a maid is following him to the South Woods?"

"It won't look odd if you are not seen. You were raised in this climate. You must know how to move soundlessly in the trees, and there are so many maids at the castle, I've no doubts you could slip out unseen." Link took her hands with his. "My lady, if you do this for me, I will see to it that your child receives the best education, and that you and Alejandro will never want for anything in your lives."

"I'm… it's dangerous. It's too dangerous. And I'm pregnant. I can't do it." She pulled her hands from his grasp. "I'm sorry."

Link looked crestfallen by her denial. "Zelda, I am begging you."

"I am not the woman you want. I have too much to lose." She stood up. "I'm sorry. Please, take me home."

/

She arrived at her house an hour before dusk, and Alejandro was not yet back. She threw the note on the coals in the stove, and spent her time making something for dinner, working half-heartedly at kneading dough for a pie crust. All the while, she pondered what Link had told her.

"None of my business," she muttered to herself. "I have my own life to worry about, and how do I know he isn't just paranoid? Reading into things?"

She got the oven fire going, and put the crust in to prebake, while she prepared a lamb and potato filling, dicing up carrots and onions. For no reason at all, she thought of Sila, having to drink a bitter tea to rid herself of one man's child for another's, and she burst into tears as Alejandro came home.

"Zelda?" he called, noticing her sobbing over a pie. "Zel, what's wrong?" He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her, and she sniffled and cried into his chest for a few minutes.

"N-nothing, nothing. Just hormones and onions," she said finally, unable to summon up the courage to tell him the real reason she was sobbing. He kissed her forehead and smiled at her sympathetically.

"Well then, I'm glad I stopped at Old Marji's. She's been making maple brittle candies again." He presented her with a little wax package, and Zelda opened it quickly, fishing out one of the squiggly shapes and snapping off a piece. It was sweet and sharp, and it soothed her nerves. She kissed Alejandro in thanks, and knew she would not have accepted Link's offer for anything in the world.

/

They were in the middle of winter, now. Sila frowned with Link's latest letter; it said that he could not break their newest mare, and he was unsure if it would ever be suitable for riding. So Zelda was still refusing them. She folded the letter and chucked it in the fire, which was blazing almost all the time now. Ganondorf had become more permissive with allowing her in his rooms; in fact, he never refused her, but sometimes when she knocked it would be a long time before he would open the door and permit her. And it was always locked.

She had to cajole him to pay attention to her, and she could tell when he was growing angrier. Last night he had actually snapped at her, "you're already pregnant, what is the point?" The next day(today, in fact) he had gone hunting, which Link had advised her to watch for. But as always, his door was locked, and she had no hope of finding the key for it.

/

Ganondorf took one or two guards with him, and a few of the dogs. His stretches between hunting were shorter in the winter; trapped inside with the snow and now with a whining slut of a wife left him far pricklier than the summer time. He had the guards and dogs chase off after smaller game, squirrels or birds, while he went himself after a bigger target. He hoped to find a bear, but this deep in the winter, it would be a hard find for anything larger than the squirrels.

His anger ran hot under his skin, and he flung off his cloak, leaving it on his horse. He was hungry for blood and violence, for the squealing of a defenseless creature in his hands, the bone twisting and grinding in his grip. He plunged through the foliage, deeper into the silent woods, his breath steaming. There- ahead- movement.

He lowered his head and tracked the figure stealthily. It was a brown blur; he estimated a deer. Maybe even an elk? Ganondorf treaded carefully, stepping slowly so the sticks sank under his weight, rather than snap. The creature edged around nervously, and he heard the distinctive snorting sound of a horse. Someone else was out here.

Ganondorf stroked the hilt of his sword. Hopefully, he would not be seen by the fellow. He just needed something, he needed his release, and then he would go back to the castle and perhaps take a hot bath. Perhaps he would have a calm enough state of mind to touch his demanding wife without wanting to close his fists around her neck—no, no. She had his child now, she was important. Damn it all.

Ganondorf reached the horse, saw there was another one some distance away, also stepping nervously and snorting in the cold. They edged away from his touch. They could smell the rage on him. He grunted at the horses in irritation and walked past them, deeper still into the woods. It was so silent. Even the wind hardly dared breathe. Looking into the thin snow on the ground, he found deer's tracks, and he followed them, still walking slowly, his hand tight around the handle of his sword. Ahead, he saw another flash of brown. The deer, sure enough. He followed it, focusing on it. He would get this creature, he would leap upon it and snap its neck open. He would cut the throat and lap up the blood and scream at the moon, knowing he was king of all creatures, king of all men, and soon he would be for all time

blood singing in his veins ringing in his ears

the deer stood still it could tell he was coming

the cold was sharp in his lungs

everything was bright and infinitely clear every branch every stone

could almost taste the coppery flavor of the deer's blood

a snapping branch to his left

"My Lord?"

Ganondorf withdrew his sword and plunged it into the old man's belly, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He grabbed him by the shoulders and growled through his teeth as he drove the blade in all the way up to the hilt. The old man's mouth fell open in alarm, his eyes wide. Ganondorf grabbed him by the jaw and pulled his sword free, flinging the man to the ground where he lay, bleeding out into the snow.

"FATHER!"

Ganondorf wheeled and saw the other man, one with dark hair and a horrified expression. He grabbed him by that hair and started whacking him in the neck with the sword, quickly hacking his head off through the screams that turned to horrified gurgling. He let the blood from the head's stump run down over his face and into his mouth, feeling alive, feeling vibrant and good. He had not realized he had spent in his trousers. He flung the head aside into the snow and grabbed the still-standing body, dropping his sword and grabbing a small dagger instead, stabbing over and over again, even after blood no longer oozed from the wounds.

His hounds picked up the scent of blood, and soon they were baying and running towards him. Ganondorf kicked around some blood and snow, grabbing up the head again and shaking it around to spatter the remaining stuff in a nonsensical shape. Then, he half-buried the head and neck, so it would appear as if the two were still mostly connected. He thrashed a path in the thin snow leading off into the deeper part of the woods. "A boar," he panted to himself. "It was a boar, huge, unlike any I'd ever seen."

His guards and the dogs came running up, stopping and staring in horror at the scene. One of them had to walk away and vomit copiously behind a tree. Ganondorf wiped at the blood on his face.

"A boar—huge. Massive. It was attacking these gentlemen. I tried to save them, but it was too late. Gored the old man. I barely struck it before it ran away, hopefully off to die."

The guard that wasn't vomiting said nothing; the younger man's severed neck was quite visible.

"We should find out who they are. Find their families for burial rites, let them know what happened. Have some flyers made, with their information, and go around to the nearby villages."

He picked up his sword, wiped the blood off on his sleeve, and sheathed it. At last, he could think clearly. His mind was calm, and his heart was beating steadily. Perhaps he would pick up Sila some trinkets at the market, some new earrings or a necklace. Maybe something for the baby.

They returned to the castle some hours later, the bodies loaded up in the cart where the deer or other game would have gone, and the horses were hooked up to the back to follow along. If a family was not found, the horses would probably be sold at auction. They covered the dead men with some long pieces of fabric meant for that purpose, and they took a back route in, so that the busy people of the market would not gawk over the bodies.

They were packed in a small cellar-like room at the back of the castle, filled with snow to preserve their appearance. An artist came in and drew the men's likeness for the announcements. The whole process took less than a day.

/

Sila had heard the thumping of Ganondorf's boots, and she performed her usual countdown, then went to knock at his door. To her surprise, he opened it almost immediately. To her shock, he was sprayed in blood.

"My lord!" she cried out. "What happened?"

"An accident with a wild boar in the South Woods," he said quickly, his eyes glazed over. "Killed two men. I tried to save them."

"Oh Goddesses. I will have them draw up a bath for you. You look exhausted, what an ordeal." Sila immediately went to ring for maids, and while they waited she went to her husband, lightly touching his face and hair. "Did you know them?"

"No, no. Some country folk, I assume." His tone was light, bland, as if discussing the weather. "Just amazing, the size of the beast."

"You are lucky you were not killed as well, my dear," Sila answered. But she was studying him closely. Was she looking for it too hard, or did he truly look oddly… relieved? Happy, almost?

The maids appeared, and she ordered them into the master bathroom to immediately begin lighting a fire under the tub, and filling it with snow.

"I will bathe you myself," she whispered to him. "If you will let me."

He turned to her and his gaze focused. "Yes. Of course."

He pulled her into his lap, kissing her hungrily and going over it in his mind. The blood had been black and red on the snow, and the sun had made it glitter, like rubies on glass. The young man's last breaths, his swan song like the bubbling of a fountain. His blood had been rich and salty, like a good wine. He pulled Sila into his lap and lifted her skirts to settle them over his legs, and reached up them with one hand. She gasped in surprise, glancing to the half-open bathroom door, maids constantly walking in and out with buckets of fresh snow and dry wood.

"Let them watch," he rumbled, leaning up and biting her neck as he thrust into her.

/

Though formal information did not reach Zelda for four days, she had a horrible feeling when Alejandro and her father did not appear the first night they went out to hunt. She had waited a long time, until the candle had burned down to nothing and she was asleep at the kitchen table. She tried to lie to herself that they had simply gone to bed at her father's house. Then that they had camped in the woods, having found a good spot. Then that… that…?

And finally, someone knocked on the door. Relief flooded her aching bones, and anger made her eyes bright. Alejandro had better have a great excuse for being gone so long. What if her father went ill? What if one of the horses was injured? She flung open the door and stared, uncomprehending at the guard.

"Pardon the intrusion. We've been asking around the village and the people say you may know these men?"

She took the flyer. Maybe arrested for gambling debts, maybe something harmless. Her eyes locked at the words on top of the page, not the large ones declaring DO YOU KNOW THESE MEN? but the smaller ones underneath, Found Slain by a Wild Boar in the South Woods

"There are no boars," she whispered. "There are no boars. There are no boars." Zelda started screaming. "THERE ARE NO BOARS!"

Some of the neighbors had followed the guard to the house, to see her reaction. When the screams began, Linna and Milla burst through the crowd.

"Get back, damn it!" Linna ordered the guard. "She will miscarry!" She hauled Zelda up from where she collapsed on the ground, clutching her hair and still screaming.

Milla helped her to haul Zelda to her bedroom, forcing her to lay out flat on the bed and trying to put pillows under her hips, to help keep the baby moored inside.

"NO BOARS! NO BOARS! THERE AREN'T!"

"Zelda! Zelda, stop!" Milla urged. Zelda thrashed with her legs, her eyes rolled upwards as she flung her arms about, screaming still until finally her voice cracked and she could no longer do so. Milla helped Linna pin her in place until Zelda's thrashing subsided and she fell into weak sobs.

"Remove everything sharp," Linna hissed to Milla.

Milla checked over the room, putting scissors and butcher knives and some of Alej's hunting knives into a wooden crate. She completely overlooked the ornamental chest on Zelda's dresser, dismissing it as a jewelry box.

"I take it she knew them?" the guard asked, stepping inside the house and catching sight of Milla, who was gathering up the sharp items in the kitchen.

Milla glowered at him, her eyes full of hate. "Her husband of only a few months and her father? Yes, it's safe to say she knew them. Where are they?"

"At the castle. The king discovered them. He tried to save their lives. We need her to confirm the bodies so we can issue last rites."

"She's in no condition to go anywhere. We're a small village, myself and some of the others can go and give confirmation. Yoro has been a friend for years. Alej's parents are still alive, for Farore's sake."

"His parents will work. Bring at least three people to identify the other man."

"Milla!" It was Linna. "I will need some supplies from my house, I need you to watch Zelda."

Milla snorted at the guard. "You select three people to go. Everyone here knows that man. I have to attend to his daughter and grandchild right now, before they're all lost."

/

Zelda had slept through the funeral. Not of her own choice; Linna had been keeping her carefully doped up with several concoctions meant to calm the blood, so that she could successfully administer ones to hold the baby. Some of the better off villagers sent for a doctor to assist Linna, but they argued bitterly over their methods and he was sent off in disgust.

Finally, when Linna felt sure that she could be brought to the world of the conscious, she reduced the doses until Zelda only needed a little, just to take the edge off her pain. She was dreadfully thin, her stomach distending in a ghastly way against her pale skin. Linna constantly forced her to take fatty broth and tea with lemon to keep her from wasting away.

A few days after she came to, the king decided to visit.

Zelda sat up in bed and stared at him, dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was greasy and limp, and the room smelled of sweat and melted fat from the candles.

"My lady. My sincerest apologies that I could do nothing for them." Ganondorf said quietly, standing near the bed. Sila stood a little ways behind him, staring at Zelda. Why her? Why, of all people, her family?

Zelda said nothing in response, only stared at him.

"Is there anything I can do for you now? Anything you desire?"

For one second, she thought of asking him how his immortality potion was working; and did he have anything for raising the dead? She bit her tongue until she tasted blood, and shook her head no.

Sila approached her, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Zelda's hand into hers, staring her in the eyes. "I mourn with you," she said softly. "I am so sorry."

Knowing her back was to Ganondorf, and he could not see her, she carefully started to mouth the very words she'd heard from Link, who'd heard them from Zelda.

No… boars… in…

Zelda's face contorted in rage, and her breathing turned hard. She could not accept their deaths, she could not

"Get out. GET OUT! Get out of my damn house, go back to your castle with your living, breathing husband, you slut!"

Sila gasped, and Ganondorf clenched his fists, though he'd privately referred to Sila as such a thousand times. Zelda flung Sila's hands away from her and covered her ears, curling up and rocking back and forth. Sila quickly stood and moved towards Ganondorf, who put a protective hand on her shoulder. Linna quickly prepared her sleeping tea, and forced a little at a time into Zelda's mouth.

"I will have an account set up for your child. When he is of age, he will receive the best education Hyrule has."

Zelda started laughing crazily as they left, tea dribbling down her chin, staining the blankets.

/

Sila watched her husband with new apprehension. He was lying. And it was so easy! Always with that bland look on his face, everything he said with that calm, detached demeanor. Had he murdered those men? Why? Why would he murder two innocent men for no reason? Had he known they were there? Or did they see him doing something else, and he couldn't risk it getting out?

Oh Din, he murdered them that day. Then he came home and made love to her, so roughly that she'd come undone twice by his hand, sitting in his lap by the fire. It was the most active he'd ever been towards her, and at the time she'd brushed it off as his closeness with death startling him into it. Did he kill men every time after a hunt? Impossible; never had there been this sort of upheaval afterwards. Oh Din, had he stolen the necklace he gave her from those people? She wore it whenever they touched now, and it seemed to spark that energy in him, though not as potently as the first time.

Sila whimpered and scrabbled for the chamberpot under the seat, vomiting.

"I thought your morning sickness was over," Ganondorf said in surprise. Gently, he reached over and rubbed her back, and her skin shuddered as he touched her. Oh sure, she and Link had made love plenty of times after a fight, but those they'd killed were going to kill them. They weren't two innocent people hunting for food, stabbed beyond reason and beheaded.

"Carriage rides," she squeaked out, clutching the rim tightly in her hands.

/

Link had read Sila's letter, delivered a few days after their visit to Zelda.

Then he had immediately left the fortress, climbing on his horse and galloping to the little village, without hardly another word. The letter had been written hastily in tiny cramped letters, though there was plenty of space on the paper. It had said, succinctly, that Zelda's husband and father were killed by 'a large boar' (underlined just like that) in the South Woods, around a week ago.

He swore the whole way to her place, wishing someone, anyone, had cared to alert him sooner. His horse almost collapsed when they reached Zelda's house, and he jumped off, throwing open the door.

"Zelda!" he shouted.

"What in the hell?" Linna growled, standing and turning to face down whoever wanted to interrupt her patient's sleep. She goggled at Link. "And what exactly are you doing here, sir?"

"Shut your mouth or I'll cut your lips off," he snapped harshly at her.

"You shut up, you slutrunner! One of your whores has already been here with the King of Hyrule, I don't see why you felt the need to stroll in—

"He's been here? Are you serious?" Link cried in astonishment. He gritted his teeth and stormed towards the back bedroom. "That devious, sick, horrid chunk of turd from his mother's cunt," he snarled. "Coming here to gloat like the maniacal murdering bastard he is."

He stormed into the room and looked at Zelda. She was half-asleep, her eyes barely open. Her lips were moving quickly, as if she was whispering very rapidly.

"How is she?" he demanded of Linna, who had been horrified at his language on top of his haggard and sudden appearance, and followed him to make sure he didn't harm Zelda. "How is her child?"

"I've managed to save the baby, not that it's any business of yours." For a second, she wondered if it was, but there had been a joke around the time of the conception that Zelda and Alej would never see light of day again, they'd kept so shut up in married bliss.

Link sat down in the chair Linna had been in, and he took up Zelda's left hand, kissing the back of it. "My red lady," he whispered to her sadly.

Zelda stirred slightly when he kissed her left hand, and her eyelids fluttered, her murmuring louder. "… cniht fram holt, ure carsíþ… ure bill… bealdor bill…"

"What is she saying?" he asked Linna, turning over his shoulder to look at her.

"What?" Linna approached, listening carefully. "I… I don't know, actually. Sounds like jibberish."

Link shook his head. "It sounds… familiar? I can't place it. Can you wake her up? I want to talk to her."

"You'll have to wait until the herbs wear off, but she's less than cooperative when awake, I think you'll find."

Link nodded. "Some tea then, please."

Linna folded her arms. "Oh, am I a maid now?"

He gritted his teeth and turned to stare at her. "Tea, _now._"

Linna looked at Zelda closely, then she went to brew some water, making sure the door was wide open. Link stroked Zelda's cheek gently, then touched the curve of her belly. At least she had that much.

He drank the tea Linna offered, and thanked her. But he stayed seated by Zelda's side, holding her hand tight.


	4. Chapter 4

She started to stir several hours later, shaking her head slowly. She coughed and moaned weakly, and tried to sit up. Link put a hand under her shoulders to help her, and Linna came in from sleeping in another room to check on her. Linna took her pulse and felt for a fever, and finding both her heart and temperature sound, she stood back a little bit to watch her.

Zelda looked around. The room was strangely foggy. Her head was heavy and she felt slow, like she was trying to run underwater. It took her some time to process Link next to her, holding her hand.

"Your Majesty?" she mumbled, staring at him. "What are you doing…?"

"It's okay, Zelda. Rest," Linna interjected.

Link stayed there in silence, waiting.

"Can… I have some water?" she asked Linna in a soft rasp.

"Yes, of course." Linna went to get some, and Zelda looked into Link's face for a long while. Something horrible, there was a horrible memory swimming up that she had been repressing.

"What time is it? What day is it? Alejan…" It was as if saying his name out loud had triggered the events and ordeals she had barely survived, and Zelda started to cry in silence, putting her open hand to her face as if to shield herself.

Linna gave Zelda the cup of water, quiet as she watched her weep. Zelda sniffed and drank the water in one shot, then set the cup down on her bedside table.

"You… you knew this would happen," she whispered finally, looking at Link. He shook his head.

"I didn't. I knew people might die, but not who. And I never thought…"

"She… she tried to tell me. Sila. She knows he did it."

"Sila? How?"

Linna stared between them, her eyes wide. "The queen?"

Link turned to her. "Please, leave us."

Linna hesitated, but Zelda waved her away. "It is fine. Go, Linna." After a pause, she left to go fuss in the kitchen, but she kept her ears sharp for sounds of distress. Zelda might be fine with him being around, but Linna only knew the desert people through her father's drunken ravings, though of course his experience was from long before Link became the ruler. Times were still tense between the two groups, and she did not know what this new Desert King was capable of. What he might be planning.

"She… I don't know. She was here with him, they came to see—oh Farore, he was in my _house_, our_...house._" Zelda groaned and put one hand to her mouth, and Link looked frantically for the chamberpot, sweeping it out from under the bed and holding it to her chin. But she was able to hold herself steady.

"She knows, Link. Because everyone thinks some wild pig did it, that there was a pig in those woods. The only pig… the only… would have been him."

Link stroked her hair, nodding. "I told her what you had told me that day, about the woods."

Zelda let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around her stomach, thinking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, to steady herself.

"I will do it."

Link watched her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She opened her eyes. "If… if I live, at least I will have my child. If I don't… then… I will be with Alej… and my father."

"Do you still have your dagger?"

"Yes, I believe I do."

"Good. You will need it. Take it with you to the castle. Wear it strapped on your thigh." He stood. "You will need similar clothing to the maids' uniforms. I will have Sila give me some information, and I will see what I can do to get you the proper clothing."

She looked up at him, resolute in her misery.

"Start eating again. You and your baby will need strength."

/

Sila was gently sponging Ganondorf's back. Ever since that one day, he'd insisted she bathe him. Now that he'd had the ultimate release, he felt he could enjoy things more. Not as sharply now as that initial day, but for the time being, he could still feel some small spark of pleasure at seeing his wife's growing belly or the rooms that were to be the nursery. And she did all he asked, with a quiet smile and complete acquiescence. He sighed and sank into the water.

"If I may ask, sir, what is the key for?" she asked softly, squeezing water into his hair. The chain would be long enough to slip over his head while he slept, but it might simply be easier to undo the clasp so he would think he'd lost it.

"Oh? Well. It is just a symbol for holding the key to the kingdom."

Sila smiled a little. "I didn't think you were so sentimental."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "You just seem a very… logical sort of person, is all."

Ganondorf nodded. "Well, I'd like to think of myself as such. That is how a country should be ruled; through logic and law. I plan to never have a sole woman running the country. If we have a girl, she will not rule alone for even a second. Marry her off as soon as she starts her cycles. There is too much at stake for it to be run by… by emotion and thinking with the heart."

Sila nodded, grinding one knee into the tile in anger to keep from speaking up. "Well. Couldn't you teach her to run the kingdom with logic? With her head?"

"Oh, it may work in peace times. But in war, she will go for what she has faith in, not for what works."

"You can't know that for sure." It slipped out, but Ganondorf snorted in response.

"I know what I know. But you, my dear. You shall never have to rule alone, either. I plan to always be king."

Sila shivered. "And how do you aim to do that?"

He chuckled, and the sound was dark and echoed in the large room. "I have my ways. Now. Get in this tub."

/

The next day, Zelda went to see the graves. Her head was heavy still from the concotions she'd been on for so long, and she'd barely been sleeping, barely been eating, despite Linna urging. Link had left that day, after she had agreed to … to do it.

Though Linna and Milla and every woman around had tried, sympathetically, to go with her to the gravesite, she refused them.

"I am going on my own. They were my family and I want a private moment with them," she said sharply, arguing them, and in the end they let her go.

She went early in the day. It was unseasonably warm except for the snow on the ground, and she still wore a coat against the cold. It had not snowed since they were buried, so the ground on their graves was visible. There were plaques on the ground at the top of the grave mounds with their names and the years of their births and deaths. She wondered who had bought the plaques, and hoped it wasn't…

Slowly, she slumped down in the snow between the graves, touching the center of the earth plots with her hand.

"If only you could tell me the truth," she murmured sadly. "Am I mad? I am planning… I am planning _treason_, taking the word of a man I don't completely trust because I trust his enemy even less. Why did he kill you? What did you see?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Father. I love you. You deserved better than this. You deserved a quiet dignified death at home. Not a butchering. Alej… you were my best friend. You were my one true love, the only one I could… I could…"

She took a deep breath, putting a hand to her chest to steady her nerves.

"Is this what I should do? This dangerous path? Follow the Desert King blindly and do his bidding?"

Zelda closed her eyes and listened, waiting. There was the soft whistle of wind, the sound of snow falling off a branch. Above her head, there was a sudden burst of chirping, tweeting. She looked up and stared; it was a bright red bird, a cardinal, sitting in the branches. It cleaned its feathers, and went back to singing its heart out. It watched her carefully when she stood, chirping a few more times, then finally it flew away, towards the desert. Cardinals were her father's favorite.

"I must be crazy," she murmured to herself.

/

Sila woke up, and discovered that she was alone in Ganondorf's bed. She looked around in surprise for him, but she couldn't see him. Not at his desk, not in the bathroom…

Sila double-checked, then, when she was certain she was alone, she started exploring. She ran her fingers along the walls, looking for wood panels that depressed slightly, and she lifted the tapestries, looking for carefully-cut doors. She found one that opened when she pressed in the center of a slightly off-color panel, revealing a set of stairs that she figured led down to the maids' quarters; it was similar to the look of her own room's passage. The second was under a tapestry and required a slightly different touch; a sharp rap in the center of it popped open the door. A quick look down and she saw another door with mid-morning light peeping around the cracks. So that one was the whores' passage; it was also quite dusty. At least she knew Ganondorf was devoted, as if it mattered to one who was used to sharing.

The last one, she realized, was mostly tucked in a corner. She could feel cool air around the narrow edges of it, and she found that it had a clever mechanism. A wall sconce in the corner, when turned clockwise, revealed a keyhole. Here was the locked room.

She touched lightly at the keyhole, but she did not dare pick it. He may be in there at this time, and he would probably not appreciate an intrusion. Instead, she dressed and left his rooms. One of the maids approached her, and she took quick note of her dress. Black, long sleeves, starched simple apron. Floor-length, of course.

"What is it?" she asked in a cool tone when the maid bowed low.

"His Majesty wishes you to know he is out on the hunt, and will return later this evening."

Sila shivered a little, wondering if he would murder someone else today.

"Thank you," she replied, nodding her head and going to her rooms. She immediately began to draft a letter to Link.

/

Late that night, Zelda packed up some belongings, some snacks and clothing and things, and she set out for the desert on her horse. She rode slowly, not wishing to be jostled too much on her way there. The moon was out and half-full, leaving plenty of light for her to see by. She was dressed in mourning, and her Gerudo dagger was tied to her thigh. She also carried Alejandro's bow and quiver, though she wasn't completely sure how to use it. Hopefully, she would be given time to practice.

It took several hours, as she was moving so slowly, and the sky was turning red with dawn by the time she came to the fortress. At first, the Gerudo soldiers came towards her in silence, wielding their swords. When they recognized her, they stopped and nodded to her. She recognized one of the soldiers; Brida.

"Welcome," she said, nodding her head. Zelda nodded in return.

Two of the girls helped her down from the horse, and a third led the horse to their stables.

Zelda was escorted inside, and she was sat down at the table she and Link had argued at, when she refused him the first time. And yet here she was again. She dug one nail into the wood and came back with a small splinter, and she cursed quietly and started to work with her teeth to remove it. Link came walking up not much later, wearing a loose pair of pants and not much else. Zelda stood and he went to kiss her hand.

"So. Here you are," he said, his face calm and stern. "I see you have the bow. Do you have your dagger?"

She patted her left leg. "Yes."

She followed him to his rooms, and sat down at his desk with him. In the next room, she heard the shifting of fabric and a soft sound of contentment. Of course.

"You may hit me for this, but at least we won't have to spend too much on the costume," he said, glancing at a slip of paper in his fingers. A letter from Sila, she surmised. "A long-sleeved black dress, and a white apron."

"I will still need the apron," she said in a quiet voice.

"That is fine, I will get it for you."

"Do we have any confirmation of—

She fell silent when a girl walked out of Link's bedroom, wrapped in a flimsy robe. Rather young looking, probably barely out of her teens, with high cheekbones and a sharp chin.

"I'm Tamri," she said, shaking Zelda's hand, before walking out, presumably to go wash up.

Zelda watched her go, and then she looked towards Link, her expression stern.

"You're a new widow. I have no such… goals towards you," he said quietly. When her expression did not change, he sighed.

"It's a desert. We get bored, and everyone's always on edge anyway. It happens in a building full of warriors with no wars."

"You know, every time I think I could get to like you, I remember why I can't. And don't you dare call me a prude," she snapped. "Just because I don't run around with my breasts on display."

He sighed. "Zelda. You will not change the way I run my army, and I will not change how you dress or think. Let's accept that we are different people with different opinions, and continue to work together. Besides, the skimpy clothing is a diversion tactic, anyway."

"What?"

"Oh sure, you saw her body and all that. But didn't you see that she wore a dagger at her hip?" Zelda looked back, but Tamri was long gone. Link grinned. "You shouldn't be so quick to judge."

"Well. Don't ever expect me to dress like that," she grumbled.

"I won't, I promise. Now, what were you going to ask?"

"Do we know for certain that he is trying to achieve immortality?"

"No, we actually don't."

"I don't feel comfortable moving in on this until we know for sure."

"I understand that. I'm hoping to get such information from Sila soon. When I do, I will send you there immediately. You go in through the maids' quarters, up to his rooms, do the task and leave."

"Yes."

"Do you think you can kill a man? I need to know because it will depend on you."

It took Zelda but a second. Alejandro's laugh, her father tucking her in at night when she was young—these were the only images she needed.

"Yes."

"Once it is over… you can go home. Tell no one what you have done. Or, you can come live with me here, and become a soldier."

"What happens to Hyrule?"

"Sila will rule it, I presume. I will help her do so."

"So in a way… you'll rule it."

"Yes."

Zelda frowned. "How do I know this isn't… just a ploy? For you to grab Hyrule for yourself?"

"I'm not the one who lied about killing two innocent men. I have been upfront with you on everything." He looked into her eyes sincerely. "And I will continue to do so."

/

Ganondorf sank to his knees in the snow, careful of the pool of blood ebbing from the sheep's throat. Presumably it'd gotten free from a nearby farm or something. No matter to him; maybe he would start a rumor of wolves in these woods, as well. By the end of it, the world would be full of bloodthirsty monsters. But still, he felt the disquiet of rage inside of him, and he was disturbed. This had not sated his anger as completely as the men had. Din's breath, to relive that…

But it was too much risk. That scared little farmwife, barely a few months pregnant and doped up just to keep from miscarrying, and mad with grief. In a way, it struck him, the depths of her sadness. Fascinating, in a way. He thought of Sila dying, being slaughtered alone in the snow. He was only bothered when he thought of their child dying inside of her, and only because there went his last hopes of everlasting life.

He stood and walked away from the sheep, trying to find the hunting dogs and his soldiers. They had, for themselves, caught several pheasants, and even a goose.

"We will eat well!" he said with a laugh. But inside, he felt nothing.

/

Sila was sprawled in his bed when he returned. He hoped she was not expecting him to give her such attentions; he simply wanted to brood over his recipe. The monksblood flowers were growing well, the alchemist had last assured him, and they would be blooming in time. The timing in the book was very specific; most of the herbs had to be ready either by the full moon, preferably by half-wax for constant growing and fullness of life. The concoction itself had to be brewed and drunk at dawn, for never-ending mornings and the continuation of life. And the most difficult ingredient; the blood of a loved one, preferably a newborn baby, to take on their longevity in life. To steal their years away. There were still a few months to go for that last ingredient. He stared at his wife's growing belly. Inside of her was his key to eternal life.

Sila stirred, and slowly she opened her eyes. She sat up in bed, looking relaxed and sleepy. "How was the hunt?" she asked, noting that he was not quite so bloody this time, and the key was around his neck. Damn it.

"Quite good. We will be having pheasant for dinner, it seems."

"You know, I like it. We never had many bird dishes in Gerudo. It is one of the things I like about this country."

He nodded, and sat at his desk to pore over ledgers, and she stood up, walking over to rub his back, and nibble lightly at the edge of his ear.

"Not right now. I'm exhausted."

Sila frowned. She was hoping that if they made love, he would fall asleep afterwards and she could use some of the putty she'd hidden to make a quick mold of the key. No such luck, today.

"Of course you are. Would you like a sponge bath?"

"No. I just want to work on the books a little. Why don't you lie back down and rest?"

Sila wanted to argue. She'd been laying in wait all day, she wasn't even tired. But instead, she smiled sweetly and climbed back under the covers.

"Have you thought of any names you would want for the child?" she asked idly, to pass the time.

"No."

A pause, while he wrote slowly, thoughtfully.

"I think if it's a girl, I will name her Thea. If a boy, Grigor."

Ganondorf slammed his fist down on the desk. "Sila. I do not care to hear your simpering about a child that doesn't exist yet!"

She stared at him, startled. "I… but it does exist."

"Please. I've had a long day. Go back to your rooms."

She hesitated.

"NOW."

Finally, like a girl scolded, she left. She went to her rooms and bit her knuckles, furious. Clearly, the 'hunt' hadn't been as effective on him like last time. When he killed people.

He was growing dangerous quickly. She had to find proof of his arcane desires, and soon.

/

Zelda woke up with a sharp little gasp. She looked around; the cot she was sleeping on was well enough for a bed, but the thin blankets were a poor replacement for her down comforters at home. She sat up and looked out one of the wide glass windows, noting that the sky had the faint, grey tinge of just before dawn.

She stretched back out and hugged the thin pillow closer to her face, trying to remember what had made her jolt awake. Was it part of her dream? No… she couldn't remember them lately. Something to do with… with what she would have to do.

Link wanted her to go sneak into his rooms and … and finish him there. It bothered her. Little problems began to pop up as she worried over it; what if others were in the room? What about Sila? If Link wanted her to rule, being alive and well would only implicate her or him in the assassination (not that it wouldn't be Link's fault anyway). She sat up again, and put on the sandals they'd given her, wrapping up tightly in her coat over her nightclothes. She would go talk to him right this instant.

Link's door was mostly shut when she came to it, but there was some light coming out from under its edge, and she gently knocked.

"Come in," he called out. He looked up in surprise at her, and she also looked at him in surprise; he was actually wearing more than one layer of clothing, for once, though the robe he wore over his pants was made of a thin, filmy material.

"Sit down," he said, gesturing. "I should have known you'd be an early riser."

"Well, no. I'm usually not. Not… this early, at least."

He poured her some warm tea, and she held it in her hands while he finished writing something.

"Are you nervous?" he aked her, as he blotted the ink with sand.

"Well, a little, but I was thinking… something else. The way this… will be done."

"Yes?"

"If we kill him in his bedroom, won't it look like a… a plot? An intentional death? If Sila's in the room, won't she be implicated? Wouldn't she be implicated if she wasn't attacked? It would throw suspicion over her and you, and you may find it hard to rule effectively through that."

Link thought over her words, leaning back in his chair. "Hm."

Zelda finally took a little drink of her tea, and it was sharp and bitter.

"You know, I'm glad you're around. You make some excellent points there. An accidental death will be far more likely than an assassination."

Zelda nodded, and Link grinned at her. She smiled back and took another drink.

"Then, since your brain seems a little sharper than mine at this hour… what do you think should be done? How shall we take down the king?"

"A hunting accident," she said simply, looking into Link's face, with all the calm of a shark.

"What, perhaps a guard accidentally shoots him with an arrow?"

"Maybe he trips on his own sword," she replied.

He watched her for a few minutes. "You have a cold streak in you, you know that?"

She narrowed her eyes. "He killed most of my family."

"True… are you sure you wouldn't want to live here after all this?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright then… when will he know if he is going on another hunting trip?" Link picked up his own cup and took a drink, watching her.

"Well…" she shrugged. "If you've already brought that apron, might as well put it to use." She swirled the last of the tea around in her cup, and smiled a bit. "You know, you're not so bad when you're not draped with women."

At that, he couldn't help but laugh a little. Zelda looked down at her lap, thinking. Since she was here anyway…

"I…"

"Go on." He seemed in a fine enough mood.

"I'm just not sure… I guess, that is to say, can I trust you? That what you want for Hyrule is better than what Ganondorf has done?"

"You mean besides promising I won't kill innocent people?"

She sighed. "For all I know, you want to overthrow him and turn Hyrule into another desert. I don't know anything about you or your politics. If this is going to be done, then ultimately, I want it to be for the better. And…" Zelda hesitated, thinking. Link waited, watching her. "I do still want him to suffer. But wouldn't it be better to disgrace him? Have him face justice with a trial, and undergo a beheading?"

"But that is why we are doing this. We are holding our own trial. I don't wish to insult you or the memory of your family, but… until he kills someone that most people will recognize as important, where the death is shocking enough that it throws suspicion over him, then you may never get a chance for that trial."

"That is true…" Zelda pulled her fingers back through her hair to take it off her face. "I'm having second thoughts about it. Because I want to do what is right for the country first, before what will please me."

Link smiled again. "Perhaps you should be queen."

"Because I believe in fairness?"

"More or less."

"Doesn't everyone, though? What do you believe in?" she asked him, reaching for more tea. He took the kettle before she could grab it and poured more himself. She nodded in gratitude.

"Hm. Well. I believe in fairness for all people, as well. I know that no matter how good of a king I think I could be, Gerudo will always be a desert. I suppose that my hope is for uniting with Hyrule despite that, and working with its people to keep life sustainable in both places. And… always doing what's right and for the best for everyone, whatever the cost."

Zelda took a drink. "It's a shame we had to meet like this."

"Oh?" He poured himself another cupful.

"Yes. I suppose that under more … peaceful circumstances, I could have liked you."

"Well. Perhaps you might like me once we're done with all this ugliness."

"That remains to be seen," she said with a shrug.

"At least you're honest," he replied, chuckling.

She stood, straightening out her coat and yawning a little. "Maybe I should try to go back to bed."

"If you want, you could always go try out the archery range?"

Zelda smiled a little. "I should probably start practicing, shouldn't I? Perhaps once I've had more rest."

/

Once he knew she was tucked in bed, Ganondorf removed the key from around his neck and unlocked the third secret passage in his room, going down the little corridor and to his little chamber. He ran his hands over the grooves in the altar, then went to his books, looking at them from a distance, then on to the little jars of floating bits of flesh and organ. Gerudo had been quiet lately; there were a few reports from his spies that a Hylian woman had been seen there; the one whose family he'd…

But what was she doing there? They were unsure; these spies stayed near the mines, acting as foremen. They could only confirm they'd seen her. Perhaps Link had decided to try some of the local flavor? Maybe she had run-ins with creditors from her father's gambling or her husband's drinking? Not that he knew anything of the sort about either man, but all reasons why a woman would succumb to her base desires. Like Sila.

He pondered his wife, something he did from time to time, while he threw some dried plants and powdered roots into the center of the altar. Adding a splash of wine that had been embalming a rat king, he mixed it into a sort of mud as he thought of Sila, how she seemed not to hate him, not to pity him, but to actually... want him. To love him. He remembered the way she gasped in excitement after that day in the woods, hot and wanting around the length of him. She had been so weak, crumpling on his lap in pleasure. And he had done that to her, simply by being a man. How was she so susceptible to it when no others were? And why did he feel so little thinking back on it now?

He gathered the mud into a rough pile and struck a spark onto it, having to try a few times before it flared blue and a small cloud of smoke billowed upwards. He leaned in and breathed the smoke in deep. He'd been doing this so long he no longer choked on the harsh smell. He let it cloud his mind, and waited for the visions.

First, he saw a flat landscape, in bright yellow with a bleached sky. The desert, he surmised. Dark clouds rolled in overhead, with flashes of light. The storm clouds filled the sky, rolling rapidly away from him, until he realized he was being pushed back, into the center of Hyrule. When he stopped, the clouds suddenly overtook the skies above, until the lands of Hyrule themselves were dark.

In a bright flash of lightning, he saw a woman in black, with a white smear running down from her chest. A maid, he figured. Her hair was bright white, and her left hand was glowing, with talons like a hawk's. Behind her was the Desert King, holding a leash in his hand that led to the maid. An assassination plot. Typical. From now on, he would have his food tasted before receiving it, and maids were not to be allowed in the kitchens. They would wait outside the door to take up the plates.

He exhaled and coughed a little, his eyes tearing up. He pounded the flames out with his fist, smearing the mud over the altar. It would dry and flake up easily later. When he was confident the pile would not reignite, he left the chamber again, locking it and going to wash up.

/

Linna knocked again on Zelda's front door, chewing her lower lip. It'd been eerily quiet for the past day or so around her house. Linna had assumed, at first, that she'd missed Zelda while she was visiting the gravesite or simply did not want visitors, but she wanted to see how she was doing with the baby and just in general. She'd tried her house twice today though, and even checked the little hill where her husband and father were buried, but she hadn't seen any new tracks in the thin snow—of course.

Linna looked around at her feet, but the activity of life and the warming climate had melted away most traces of the snow, and any tracks she saw were misshapen and hard to identify. After helplessly looking around, she went to check the horse paddock, which wasn't far from Zelda's house.

She looked carefully at the horses, calling them over by clucking her tongue. Even just by counting though, she knew it was what she feared.

Zelda was gone.

"Cris?" she called, walking into their house. Her husband appeared from the kitchen, looking at her in surprise.

"What is it?"

"It's Zelda, I can't find her. Did anyone see her heading towards town in the last day? Or anywhere?"

"Zelda? No, not that I know of. Maybe she's sleeping or doesn't want visitors right now. It's been a rough time."

"I checked the field and her horse is gone."

"Hrm." Cris frowned. "That is reason for worry."

"And she wasn't at the gravesite and she wasn't home yesterday either."

"Linna. Calm down. Maybe she just wants to be by herself right now. If she's not home tomorrow, I'll help you arrange a search party myself."

Linna sighed heavily, folding her arms. "I just want to know where she is."

"I know you do. But she is an adult woman, and even though she's been through a lot lately, I'm sure she will be alright." He hugged her close and kissed her forehead. "Just relax."

"I can't help it. She's been through a great deal lately, and that desert fellow had been hanging around—

"The desert king? What does he want with Zelda?"

"I have no clue. It seemed very out of place, but he was at the wedding with… _those women_," she hissed. "So… they must know each other on some level. I mean… he stayed with her for hours while she was drugged up. Doesn't that seem suspicious?"

"It's strange, yes," said Cris, nodding. "But… I think we both know that Zelda and Alej were very devoted to each other. You don't seriously think she'd be fooling around with another man the whole time, do you?"

Linna sighed. "No, I really don't. But you never know, either."

Cris shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't sound good, but if she isn't around by the end of tomorrow, then we can start looking for her. Everyone reacts to death differently."

"I know. But I do worry about her." She pulled away to get herself a little drink of water.

"Of course you do. But I promise, if she's not around tomorrow, then we can go looking for her."

Linna nodded firmly. "I hope she comes home. I do not like that man. I don't like the way he looks at her."

Cris chuckled. "Come on now. He has so many women at home, what could he want with Zelda? She's pretty and all, I guess, but…"

"I just don't trust him," Linna said with a definite edge to her voice. "I think he's up to something."

"Why would that be?" Cris grew very serious, holding his wife back to look in her face.

"When he came to see Zelda after Alejandro and Yoro died, they started to talk about..." she hesitated, and lowered her voice further, "killing the king."


	5. Chapter 5

Zelda reached for the little jar of salve again, carefully rubbing it into her hands and fingers. She had been at the range most of the morning, until her arms cramped up and her fingers callused and were starting to crack and bleed, and then she returned to the barracks to rub salve and bandage them.

The desert was still in its cooler days, but the weather was starting to warm up again, and she no longer needed her coat. Instead, she went around in her nightdresses, which were fairly lightweight and roomy enough for her growing belly, and over them she wore a gauzy black robe that she borrowed from the clothing stores of the barracks. So far, she'd been living with the Gerudo for around a week.

Link had let her know that all was quiet from Sila, for now; it could be a long time until Ganondorf went 'out hunting', but usually his maximum was a month from what she'd seen.

Zelda rubbed some of the cream on her feet as well, where her boots were rubbing uncomfortably on her feet. Swelling already, they were. She would have to send some money along the next time they went to town to pick up supplies; hopefully she could get shoes. She did not think her feet would ever be thick enough to handle the rough sand outside.

Brida had given her some terse advice on using a bow and sharpening arrows for a second use, and Zelda listened to her carefully, and practiced in the mornings until her hands were sore.

"The calluses will build up soon," Brida had assured her. "Then, you will be able to fire a bow without wincing."

Zelda thought of home, and their house. She thought now that she should have mentioned a pilgrimage or some sort of travels to take her mind off all the stress before leaving, but Milla or someone would have insisted on going with her, all fretting over the baby and her health. She appreciated their concern, but she didn't want their clingyness. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts, and the Gerudo understood that.

Or maybe they just didn't trust her much.

/

He couldn't take it anymore. Everything irritated him. He tore up inquiries from dignitaries and refused to answer them, because their questions or requests were 'foolish and pointless'. He snapped at every maid who approached him with food or drink, even after having seen it sampled himself. He ignored Sila, whether she was knocking lightly on his door or sitting with him at their dinner. And the latest hunting trip, where he'd gotten more reckless and chased down a small, young deer, bashing its head open against a tree trunk, had done nothing to whet his appetite, his itch for blood and suffering.

Ganondorf called upon one of his own servants, one who earned his paycheck usually by doing nothing at all. He was a thin-fingered wide-eyed creep of a man named Karus, and his traditional position in Hyrule's kingdom had been the "Master of King's Chambers," as in, a pimp. For the kings that wanted strange, he was the one who would go out and seek the freshest of women. But since Ganondorf took the crown, he'd done almost nothing, and seemed to go forgotten, except for his continued pay. Ganondorf intended to make him earn that pay now.

Karus stood stiffly before the king's writing desk, his hands folded and his chin twitching under his sparse beard. Ganondorf looked sickly, there was sweat on his forehead and he was a little wild-eyed.

"I need… I need flesh. A body- a, a woman."

"Of course, sir," Karus intoned.

"But not… no one important. A beggar, if you have to. Someone that won't be… noticed. Maybe old. Yes, very old. An old beggar."

Karus nodded again, as placid as Lake Hylia. But inside he was a little disgusted; what sort of thing was Ganondorf into?

"Bring her here within the hour. Tell her nothing, and tell no one. Come by the whores' entrance," he directed in clipped tones, half-gesturing.

Karus bowed his head slightly. "Yes."

"I will dispose—dispatch her when I am done. You've no need to show her out."

"How much is she to be given, Sire?"

Ganondorf locked up. "Ah. I will take care of that."

"Of course." Karus bowed again, more deeply, and he left.

Ganondorf took slow, even breaths. Soon, very soon. He just needed one, someone no one noticed, that no one missed, and he would be done with this business for a few months. By the time he needed another kill, they would be lining the streets, in awe of his God status.

It took Karus about an hour, and Ganondorf looked around, bewildered, when the passage in his rooms opened unexpectedly. The old woman reeked, with matted grey and black hair, eyes dingy with yellow crud, and long grey nails, all wrapped up in a filthy and too-small blue smock. Karus bowed to Ganondorf. "Anything else you need, sir?" he asked with no inflection.

"No, leave me," he commanded, staring. Finally, a target. Someone of no meaning to take all of his rage, all of his anger.

Karus bowed again and left.

The old woman spent those few minutes looking around idly, rubbing her hands together. "Sure am glad to be out of the cold," she said suddenly. "Gets so mighty cold out there on the street, lord. You wouldn't believe. I've seen pidgeons turned to ice just by flying too high up. They come crashing down to the ground and shatter like a glass pane."

"Shut up," he snapped, standing. He fumbled, but soon he had a little knife that he used for letter opening in his hand.

The beggar woman wrinkled her nose in irritation at him. "Well, you're not a very nice man, are you? I certainly won't be voting for you next year."

"What?" This stupid phrase caught him off guard. "You don't vote for kings."

"Well if we did, I'd vote for the other guy," she mumbled in return, half-pacing his rooms, reaching towards things as if to touch them and then stopping short.

He could feel the air turning still and condensing. His heart quickened and his blood pulsed in his ears. It was almost like a hot bath on a cold day, and he sank into it completely as he approached the woman.

"Shall I lie on the bed?" she asked as she half-turned.

"No."

He swung his arm upwards and stabbed her in the center of one eye. She let out an ungodly screech, and he panicked, shoving one hand into her mouth. The old woman's teeth clamped down hard on his fingers, and he shouted a curse, grabbing her by the lower jaw and ripping her face off the letter opener, hearing her jaw give a sharp crack. She moaned in pain, muffled around his hand, and the ruined ball leaked a clear fluid and blood down her face and into the old woman's mouth. She tried to thrash against him with her long, curled nails, but he swung again and again with his little knife, puncturing her cheek, her nose, and finally her temple, which killed her. But he wasn't done, and again and again he swung down upon her, panting, his eyes bright with bloodlust.

Finally, he let her drop onto the floor, his skin shiny with sweat. He stared down at the ruined, bleeding figure for a few minutes, until a dull panic set in. How was he to get rid of the body?

He unlocked the secret passage and drug her down into it, heaping her up in a corner. He would deal with that later; he couldn't burn it, but maybe he could hack it up and distribute the pieces around in the sewers or the woods or something. He turned to leave the rooms and felt more dismayed when he saw the thin trail of blood and excrement from where the body had fallen. He couldn't have maids cleaning this up, asking questions.

Fumbling, he looked around the chamber room and found a large, deep bowl. He filled it with water from the tub and, after a thought, he added a sliver of soap, but it didn't do much good in frothing up. Ganondorf grabbed a rag and started to clean, stripping down to his underbreeches to do so. The scent and texture of the mess on the floor made his skin recoil in disgust. But no one else could do this, no one else could know.

He cleaned frantically, but only got halfway across the room before he realized he had to change the water. Cursing, he lugged the pot to his bathroom window and, after checking below, he carefully poured the pot down the outside wall, so that it would trickle and hopefully blend in with the rains they were said to get later in the day.

Ganondorf cleaned halfway down the hall to his alchemy chamber, and finally he decided it was good enough; he was the only one who came in here, after all, so no need to worry about stains.

The rag he tossed on the body's face; he wouldn't be using that any more. The pot he would throw out as well. He wasn't about to have it washed with the other dishes, but he was not going to use it again. It'd been tainted.

When he felt comfortable enough, he locked everything back up and took a second to stand in the middle of his rooms, and let himself relax. Finally, that calming effect could wash over him, that elation. He laughed, a few short barks, and then he changed into some other clothes, and summoned a maid. With his careful examination of the ranks, he had not noticed any newcomers, but he knew to be careful and keep an eye on them all the same.

The maid knocked on his bedroom door, as it was easier to do than coming up through the entrance, what with her being on shift in the great hall anyway. He let her in, and she could smell something sickly in the air, but she resolved not to wrinkle her nose. Even kings were prone to a smelly bowel movement now and again.

"Bring me my wife. I want to see her."

/

Sila followed the maid down the hall. Ganondorf never summoned her, and she was on edge. What happened? What did he want? If he knew of the plot against him, he wouldn't ask her to come alone to his bedrooms. She twisted the loose sleeve of her dress nervously as she tried to summon up her responses to each probing question, to soothe his rages.

So it was doubly unnerving when he was laying in bed and smiling, sleepy and relaxed. She smiled back, trying to see the whole room without moving her eyes. He'd snapped at her this morning, and now he was calm. _What had he done._

"Yes, sire?" she asked in a low voice, as if completely oblivious.

"Come and sit."

She did so, curling up on the foot of the bed.

"Closer," he urged.

Sila crawled up, until he took her by the waist (just a little bigger every day) and gently pulled her onto his lap, and she could feel him under the covers bumping against her thigh.

_He killed again, another person murdered who did nothing wrong_, she knew it. Instead, she giggled and ran her nails lightly down his bare chest, though inside it made her want to scream.

/

Cris looked carefully over the list of places he had made, with Linna's help. Several of the villagers he'd asked to come around had done so, and were waiting for him to say what was wrong.

"Zelda Fulson is missing," he said suddenly. "Has anyone seen her?"

They mumbled together, but came up with nothing but 'no'.

"She hasn't been found at home, and her horse is missing. Linna is very worried for her, especially with the fact that she is pregnant. I've made a list of places she could be that we have checked, and haven't checked."

He read down the list, which included the gravesite, her father's house, and near the horse paddock and the cow fields, among others. He made no mention to them about what Linna had told him in a hushed whisper.

"Zelda is our neighbor, and her father was a respected veteran. We should do whatever we can to find her, because that is what good neighbors do. Is anyone willing to help donate to have flyers drawn?"

There was some shuffling as people added money to a small clay jar for that purpose.

"We should probably search in shifts; women can look during the day while the men finish the fields for summer, and men can take up the searches at night while they have some strength."

"What about the Gerudo king?" someone asked.

"What about him?"

"If she's missing, what if she's with him?"

"What if he kidnapped her to be his bride?"

"Uh, fine, then uh, I guess we can have a flyer sent to him personally." He frowned. "Though don't think he'll take time out of his busy day to help us find her."

The people grumbled amongst themselves as Linna tried to get them organized in groups.

"That's a good point," one of the older women whispered to her compatriot.

"What is?" she replied.

"The desert king, kidnapping Zelda? After all, he was at the wedding and some say he bought the dress for her."

"What's he want with a country bumpkin when he has a thousand wives anyway?"

"Oh come on, those big-nosed slags?"

"Maybe she wasn't even kidnapped. I'm sure he has a lot of money all wrapped up."

"Yeah, in a nice wad in his trousers." They giggled as Linna talked to the rest of the group, trying to coordinate times and places to search.

"You don't suppose…" one said, trailing off.

"What?"

"What if she wasn't kidnapped? What if she was in love with him?"

"Why do you think that?"

"Well after all, Alejandro and Yoro were found in the woods by the king. He said it looked like a boar got them, but…"

"There aren't any boars in the woods," the other woman exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, not in the South."

"Is that where they were found?"

"Yeah."

"That's kinda near Gerudo…"

"It is, isn't it."

The women stared at each other in horror, and they felt a faint chill in their bones.

/

Sila was exhausted and sore. She lay on Ganondorf's chest, her heart pounding. Her shoulders and neck hurt where he'd bitten her until she yelped, her breasts ached from how he gripped them, and the rest of her was generally battered and raw. But he was content and lay half asleep under her, his hand lightly stroking along her back. She thought of Link's more gentle approach, and found she missed it. There was no in between with her husband. It was either the animalistic lust that left her in pain, or the boring and clinical approach. She thought of trying to teach him to be more gentle, but he didn't seem the type to appreciate direction.

"What do you think of a nice bath?" he asked her quietly.

"That sounds very good," she replied, looking up at him.

"Here, I'll call someone up."

She rolled carefully off of him and onto the other side of the bed, and he climbed out to go pull the bell cord. When he turned back, his smile quickly turned to a wide-opened stare.

"What?" Sila asked, looking down at herself. She gasped in horror—there was more than just his essence staining the sheets. Now there was blood.

/

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he murmured back.

Zelda was curled up in bed with Alejandro, her cheek on his chest, listening to his heart pound. Their room was lit by the moon, and they wore only the bed covers. It shone across their faces as they embraced each other. He put one hand to her stomach.

"It will be a boy, I think," he said quietly.

"Why do you think that?"

Alejandro smiled. "I know it."

"Because he will be as handsome as you?" she laughed a little.

Alejandro shook his head. "Because it has to be."

"Why?" Zelda's smile faded. There was a weird tinge to the room, the air hot and pressing in on them.

"There should be a boy, not a girl. Sila is having the girl."

"Sila is pregnant?"

Alejandro looked away, his face gaunt. "For now."

"What do you mean, for now?" Zelda sat up. "Alej?"

"He's starting to lose his grip. He didn't mean to kill anyone, but he has to, now."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She started to panick. The sky overhead brightened in seconds, into a new day.

"He has to kill to feel anything. He has all he wanted, but he still wants more power. He craves their deaths. He needs to feel the power of killing them, of having control over whether they live or die."

A red welt opened across Alejandro's throat, and blood flowed out onto the sheets.

"Sila is having a girl. The princess. Things must be set right."

Zelda could feel herself being pulled away from him, out through the door. Strong hands were on her shoulders, dragging her from her husband.

"What are you talking about?" she screamed.

"He knows… he has to die," Alejandro said, looking at her. He sat up, and his head rolled off.

Zelda woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. The hands were still on her shoulders, but they were shaking her.

"Zelda! Zelda! Damn it—

Someone slapped her hard, and she sucked in another breath, her eyes wide. Veru was shaking her, her face stern and a little bewildered. No one knew how to act around this woman from the forest, and she got stranger all the time.

"You were having a nightmare."

"What?" Zelda rubbed her eyes, then her sore cheek. She tried to think back, but the dream was gone, and she was left feeling deeply unsettled.

"You were screaming loud enough to wake the dead. Goddesses above." Veru turned to one of the other soldiers. "Get her a drink, and something to chew on."

Zelda rubbed her eyes, but still she felt bothered, and she couldn't place why. The soldier Veru had sent off came back quickly with some fresh fruit. "There's no water yet today," she said as explanation.

Zelda resisted the fruit, putting one hand up, but Veru more or less shoved it into her mouth. "Chew and swallow," she snapped. Hesitantly, she did. It helped to wake her up a little, and Veru held the plate out until Zelda had finished.

"Good. Since you are up, you may as well go practice your archery," Veru said. It was only sort of an order.

Zelda rubbed at her stomach tentatively, but aside from a little nausea, she felt fine. She climbed out of bed and took a piece of ribbon to tie back her hair, then she picked up her bow and quiver to head to the range.

/

Link was sitting on one of the tall sand dunes nearest to the mines. He kept a rusty telescope in one hand, and he was waiting for the sun to come up to count the number of people in the mines. They'd been there all night, as well, hauling out the green chunks from the ground and carrying them off in massive carts. By his estimations, they had almost burned up their maximum time given by the peace treaty by working night and day. He wondered idly what would happen if they did reach that time; and he knew it had better be the people leaving.

The sand was a little harder to measure, by his eye. He had a mathematician come in and do some calculations, and map out square areas that would be roughly 100 pounds of sand, using sturdy metal poles and long strips of cord. So far, about forty or so had been cleared and dismantled. He made sure there was always a rotation of his own guards near the sand operation, so that the dimensions of the plots could not be messed with.

Some of the Hylian employees were younger than he expected. Much younger. Surely enough that Hyrule had lost some able-bodied men throughout the warring years, but some of the children looked too young to be away from their mothers.

He looked back towards their outpost, the last remnants of the Gerudo people. Soon enough, they would die out, then Hyrule could claim the desert as its own and ravage it as they wished. All he was doing was biding time. He thought of Sila, pregnant with that bastard's child, where his own had been only a few months earlier. That child was their key to preserving at least some small part of a positive Gerudo legacy.

The sun started to rise, and he shifted his weight carefully on the sand, as not to slide down. He went down onto his stomach and raised the telescope to his eye, looking out towards the mines. Not many kids at the moment, probably they were at home, asleep. He looked around, leaning in, and froze.

One of the foremen had binoculars to his face, and was staring at Link.

They locked gazes with each other, though at a distance, and finally Link gave a slight nod of his head, starting to lower the telescope. The foreman slowly did the same after returning the nod. Of course they were watching. The mines had been a ploy to keep an eye on the little desert troupe. He should have known.

Link slid down the dune the other way, getting up and heading back to the fortress. Now he knew where they stood.

/

Sila was laying back on pillows in her bed. Ganondorf stood to one side, watching her closely. On the other side was the doctor, who was carefully wiping his hands clean.

"Well. The baby is fine. I believe you're far enough along to hold onto it comfortably. But riding a horse is ill-advised, especially this far along. If you need to get around and you are too tired to walk, hire a carriage."

He looked at the Gerudo, then his worried and exhausted king. Riding a horse, sure. These desert sluts would fuck to their own deaths, if they could. No wonder their own child almost died because of her appetite. Sila looked at the doctor, and he thought he saw hatred and mistrust in her eyes. Had she used her witch powers to read his mind?

He gestured for Ganondorf and the men left the room.

"I strongly suggest she rest for a few days, and walk and stand as little as possible for a week. And… I also suggest you try to calm some of her more voracious appetites. I know how men are with new wives, especially ones so wild as the Gerudo are purported to be. But it is either her or the child, Your Majesty."

If he had not had that fresh kill on his hands. Ganondorf might have sentenced the doctor to the dungeons for such insult. But for now he felt complacent, and relief that his future was still intact.

"Thank you for your assistance," he said softly. The doctor nodded, then bowed and left. Ganondorf went back into Sila's rooms, and took her hand. She smiled at him, and went to sit up a little more. She winced and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"You're to stay here in bed until you heal," he ordered sternly. "And I mean that. I won't have you losing our child."

"I don't plan on doing so, either." She touched the curve of her stomach carefully. "I want this child as badly as you do. Perhaps you should not have been so rough with me, sir." She snapped the last words, and Ganondorf was a little surprised at the fire in her.

"Your pain and fear has made you peevish," he muttered. "You would do well to keep yourself calm, before the baby is lost."

"I am calm!" she cried. Ganondorf looked at her for a while, and she stared back. She would not be bested.

He grunted and turned away. "I mean it about rest," he said. "Do so."

He left her rooms without a glance back, and immediately went to his own chambers.

Now to deal with that other woman.

/

Zelda stayed at the range too late, and she walked back over the hot sand, cursing. She'd left her boots aside, knowing the sand would be warm enough to be comfortable, and anyway they were getting too tight and small on her feet. Now the sun was up, and the heat of summer came early here in the desert. Her arms and face were pink from the exposure, and the muscles in her shoulders ached from the bow. But she was getting better with each session, and it would be worth it. Today she'd had at least two arrows land almost at center. Once she got used to the slight drift just from holding the bow and firing, she was able to learn how to compensate for it as well, and she was getting better at judging it.

As for now, her arms and stomach ached; she was hungry and had probably spent too long out in the sun. Most of the food eaten in the desert was fruit, whatever they had. Sometimes smoked rabbit or snake meat from the desert wildlife. She craved potatoes, roasted or baked, and maybe a nice little chunk of pot roast. She needed more than what she was getting.

She went to Link's rooms after dropping off the bow and quiver in her own. She would sharpen them later. Zelda knocked sharply at the door, but there was a bit of a wait before, finally, "come in."

She slowly opened the door and looked inside. Link was sitting at his desk, frowning over a ledger. He glanced up at her then back down, and she sat down and folded her hands together.

"So, what do you need?" He did not look at her for a few minutes, concentrating on his math.

"I brought a little money with me. If I give you some, next time someone goes to town, can they get me some supplies? The food… isn't enough."

He set his quill down carefully and waved a hand over the ink to let it dry. After a few minutes of hesitation, he spoke up.

"We went to town yesterday. We only go once a month."

Zelda muttered a curse and bit her lip, then "I will go, then."

"I don't want you going alone. Take Veru or Brida."

"Well, that makes sense. I want to go now, to get it done with. It's not that I'm not grateful, but… I need more to eat."

"All of my people need more to eat. We can't afford it." His words were bitter and sharp, and she'd gotten the initial feeling he was annoyed with his books, but now she wasn't sure.

"But what about the peace deal…?"

"That was little more than a beg of mercy. A surrender. Gerudo is bleeding money every day; we have to cart in water, food, other necessities." He folded his hands before his face, sighing. "Gerudo is going to crumble within the year."

She watched him, unsure of what to say. What could she say?

"Is… is Sila going to help save you? As queen?"

"One can only hope. But that might be impossible. Probably we'll just get absorbed by Hyrule. We'll become an outpost for training new soldiers. That's the best I can hope for."

"Why don't you do that now? Join up under the king's title?"

"Because I'd rather my country burn to ashes than be his servant," Link snapped.

Zelda looked to her hands. "Maybe this is a case where you need to swallow your pride."

"How can you talk to me like that when that bastard killed your family? How can you say I should bow down before a murderous tyrant? Are you so ignorant of the state of Hyrule? Can I even still use you in the castle?" He glared at her across the desk.

She stared back, her jaw twitching in sudden fury. She found it prudent to not answer.

"Tell you this," he said, pointing at her. "When you go there, look around. I don't mean at the market or the fancy shops. Go to the back alleys, to the dingy bars, the whorehouses. Tell me what you see there is what you want for your country, and I'll drop the whole plot."

He looked down at his hated ledger again and slammed it shut. "Eat there. Go to a little restaurant and eat what you can pay for. Do not bring food to this place that you don't plan to eat right away. It will either be stolen or spoil."

Zelda stood and left, dropping the customary bow. Despite her apathy towards the goings-on in the castle town, she was still protective towards her home country.

She went to find Veru, but she was unsuccessful; Veru was on shift, watching the mines. She went to find Brida, but Brida told her to find Veru, as she had no interest in going to town, regardless of Link's orders.

So Zelda went to the stables, got her horse, and went alone.

On her way, she considered abandoning the Gerudo and heading back home. They could find someone else to do their work… though they would probably come after her. She felt more and more sure that she had screwed up by agreeing to anything the desert king (not really, she supposed) asked or said. But it was too late for any of that now. She would have to get herself out of this mess, any way possible.

/

Ganondorf was drenched in sweat, but the deed had finally been finished. There would always be a smear in the corner where the woman's body had been, but that was just for his eyes. He had cut the mass apart at each bend, each joint, and wrapped them in the sheets Sila had bled on before those were burned. Everything went tied up as best as he could.

Now what?

He stared at the huge white mound for a long time, agitated. It needed to be hauled from the castle unobtrusively. If only he'd thought this damn plan through! Maybe if he rolled it out through the whores' passage, hired someone to haul the body... yes… yes…

His nerves were still ringing, so he left the room for a little while, locking it up tight while he decided to think. Already there was an odor around the mass, the limbs were stiff and hard to move. He would have to have it moved tonight, if not sooner. For now, he went to sit back at his desk to do some mindless work; read over pleas and letters and things. He would let the problem circulate in the back of his mind, and hopefully he would come up with a handy solution.

/

Zelda arrived in town near the end of the day. The streets were thinning out with the closing of the market, the last of the vegetables and things being sold off. She wanted so much, everything smelled and looked good. She settled for a seedy vendor at the end of the stretch and slightly on one corner, who was making fast-cook dinners of thinly sliced meat and grilled vegetables, served in a thin sauce with a slice of bread. It took most of her money to get it (though she couldn't really be sure if it should have actually taken most of her money because the vendor grunted when she held out her hand for change) but she was so hungry that she ate like a wolf, and was done in minutes, and it was delicious.

When she finished and wiped her mouth clean, she stood to leave again, feeling better than she had in a few days. As she turned though, a slip of paper stuck to the wall past the vendor's stall caught her eye.

She stepped towards it and gasped in surprise. It was herself; or at least, it was supposed to be. By reading it, she could see that any information regarding her whereabouts was to be mailed to Linna. Zelda muttered a curse and tore the flyer off the wall, looking it over and then stuffing it into her bag. How many more of these were there?

She kept her face down and started walking out again, quickly. She had a long trip back. But Link's urging had her slowing down and stopping, looking towards the ill-lit back alleys. And now she really let herself focus, looking beyond the market and towards the surrounding buildings.

It became clear, as she looked, that Hyrule had barely survived the war itself. There were still buildings with damage from battle, some of it appearing to cripple the structures. She made sure her dagger was with her, and she went down the first alley. The muck from the streets was swept down this way, it seemed, and left to pile in corners. She poked her head into one door. It turned out to be a bar, and she could see a few old battered men sitting around with their drinks in dirty glasses, the whole place reeking of stale, sour beer. They didn't even turn their heads. Some of them were missing an arm or leg. Veterans, she assumed.

She backed out. Sure, troubling, but war always had such casualties. She still wasn't sure what Link had been ranting about. Maybe she just didn't know the town well enough to see its changes. She stopped when she encountered two guards, who approached her, impeding her path.

"Excuse me," she said in a low tone, ducking her head and turning to go around. One of the guards grabbed her arm and wheeled her to face them.

"Where's your chaperone?" the guard asked sharply.

"Oh come on," Zelda muttered, trying to pull her arm free and glowering at him. "My chaperone? Do I look so young?"

"Women are to have a chaperone in town after dark. It's safer."

"Sounds wise enough, then. Can one of you escort me to the stables? I should be heading home."

"We cannot act as chaperone. You should have brought one with you. Without a chaperone, you're to be held in the jail overnight, until morning. It's for your own safety."

"What? Oh that's ridiculous. I can take care of myself."

"You might think that, but you'd be surprised at the craftiness of rapists and pickpockets. Come on."

They each grabbed one of her arms and started walking her towards the castle, presumably to the dungeons. She scrambled and tried to pull away, their grip tightening. Zelda gasped suddenly, as if in great pain, and she crumpled to her knees, the guards sagging in surprise with her.

"Oh! Oh, my—my baby. Please, I feel a cramp. I need a doctor."

"You can see one at the jail."

They tried to haul her up, and again she sagged, shouting in alarm. There were even tears in her eyes, from her skin getting pinched in their hands.

"Please! I can't even walk! Bring one to me!"

One of the guards hesitated, leaning in to his partner and talking in a mutter. "It might be serious, Firo. We should probably get a carriage for her."

The other guard snorted, looking down at Zelda. "Fine. I'll go get one. But so help me, if you don't keep an eye on her—

"I will! I will! She can't even move right now, I can keep an eye on her."

Slowly, the other guard started to back up to go track down a carriage. The other guard took Zelda carefully under the arms and hauled her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Can you at least stand?"

Zelda kept her head down. Now what?

"I can't…" she whispered. The guard leaned in, and Zelda started to sink again with a cry.

The guard cursed as her weight pulled him off balance. Zelda gripped his arms in return, and with all the strength she could summon, she pulled him down and threw him to the ground. He cried out in surprise, and Zelda got to her feet, running despite the pinching in her toes. She didn't run long, just enough to get around the corner, and then she walked as quickly as she could to the stables, trying to keep on the edges of a crowd.

"Come on, come on," she whispered under her breath, grappling for her horse. The man watching the stables helped her up.

"Can I ask you something real quick?" she said, panting.

The stablehand looked at her curiously. "Sure, go on."

"Um. The rule about… about women needing chaperones."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Is that one of the king's laws?"

"Of course. Brought into effect shortly after the end of the war. It was an attempt to cut down rapes and attacks on women."

"But… couldn't they be attacked sitting in the dungeon overnight?"

"Oh, you don't sit in the dungeon overnight. It's until someone of relation, like a husband, comes to bail you out."

"What? But what if… what if your husband is dead?"

"Or your father, or another parent."

"It can't just be anyone?"

"No. Did you… not know?"

"Well, I'm not from town."

"Lucky you don't get caught up by a guard, then."

She nodded. "Thank you for the information." Quickly, then, she left the stables and headed out of the castle market area, trying to act casual and calm. Zelda glanced back now and again, worried that they would start to run after her. She thought she could see guards approaching the ones that bordered the main entrance, but it was hard to tell. The guards were shouting and pointing at her, and when she glanced back she could now see more coming after her.

Zelda panicked and dug her heels into her horse's sides. The horse broke into a gallop as the guards ran after her, trying to catch up. Ahead, they were closing the main entrance, though shopping people that were also trying to leave were protesting and pushing at the gates.

"Oh come on!" she cried out. But she was trapped in the crowd, and guards were wading through the people to try to pull Zelda free.

"Come on, lady!" one of them snapped, pulling at the reins in her hands. Her horse snorted and stamped nervously at the men crowding around her, their armor stinking and their voices angry. Her hand went to touch at the dagger on her thigh, though she didn't think she could kill all of them. She didn't think she could have killed any of them. She kicked at their hands, and her horse bit at the guards' grabbing hands.

"Let us through!" the people were screaming at the gates, shaking them. The metal groaned at the hinges, loud enough to make her eyes water.

"We have to let them out!" shouted one of the guards at the doors.

"We've almost got her!" one near her shouted back, trying to pull Zelda off her horse. She reached up under her skirt and pulled the dagger free, threatening the guard with it. He jumped back in alarm from the sharp point.

"Don't you touch me!" she shouted, her eyes wild. Her horse reared and she clung to its back tightly, not about to fall off and suffer an injury.

"Just let her out, Del! Nayru's teeth!"

The guard turned his head, looking into Zelda's face with deep anger.

"If you come back, I will know. And you will not get out again."

She spit on him, and there were a few cheers from the people watching the drama unfold in their midst. The gates, badly warped by now, were slowly opened, and the leaving masses poured out, Zelda following along behind.

Soon they were back to the fields, and she put the dagger away, securing it in the sheath. Her heart was pounding and she felt trembly and sick, and even worse, she was a little hungry again. She cursed and turned her horse towards the desert, and they headed back.

Zelda slumped forward, muttering in anger. She heard a rustling in her purse, and when she looked inside, she found the flyer from Linna. She thought of heading there directly and explaining what had happened to Linna. But how could she explain what she was doing without being considered crazy? Instead, she would write a letter, so that Linna would know she was fine and safe. Once she got back and had some rest, she would do just that.

But when she got back to the fortress, she saw multiple guards waiting for her, and Link at the forefront.

"Zelda!" he shouted, when he knew for certain it was her. "What the hell was that?"

She pulled her horse to a stop. "What? I was hungry. I told you I was going."

"You were supposed to take someone with you!"

"No one would go! And why the hell are you lecturing me?" She glowered, gritting her teeth. "Don't you dare treat me like a child!"

He walked over to her, staring up at her. "I didn't want you getting trapped in the damn dungeons. How'd you pull that off?"

"I… left. I wanted to, so I did." He swore under his breath, and reached up to help her down. Instead, she carefully climbed down off her horse on her own. She turned, staring at him. "I'm fine. I made it there and back. Besides, wouldn't I need a man with me for it to count?"

"Do you seriously think any guard wants to argue with Brida?" He looked her over and sighed. "Well then. Did you get what you needed?"

"I think," she replied. "There's nothing you can do to bring more produce to this area?"

"It's a desert. What could we do?"

She looked around. "I guess… if you started a little farm a little farther north, on habitable land. Get some sheep. Things like that. Or if you went to a source closer than the castle market."

Link nodded half-heartedly. "I'll have to think about it, but we have more important things to deal with now." He looked at the bottom of her dress, where there was a slight rip, but he said nothing. "I mean it, though. Don't go there alone again."

"I won't, for a while." She hesitated. "Can I write a letter? I want to let my friends know I'm doing well."

"The one who sent me a flyer asking of your whereabouts?"

She stopped. "What?"

"I received a flyer and a letter asking if I knew where you were a day or so ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I haven't replied yet. I didn't know if you knew. I would've thought you'd told them what was going on."

"I felt they would have stopped me."

He sighed. "Write the letter. Let them know you're safe."

Feeling they were done with their conversation, she turned and headed towards the fortress, to go to her rooms. She was more exhausted than she'd been earlier, and now she wanted rest, deep and dreamless.


	6. Chapter 6

After the body was hauled away in the back of a cart, Ganondorf decided even that was too risky. The cart driver was instructed to toss the whole bag at once into the river, and he was paid an extra sum to mention it to no one. And once the burden was completely gone, he knew he could relax and enjoy the calm in his nerves, finally.

Though it was late, he went to go see Sila. His dear wife was asleep, curled up on her side towards him. He crept down next to her bed and reached out hesitantly with one hand, lightly touching his thumb to the crease between her eyebrows.

Her breath hitched, and her eyes shot open. In a second, her hand had gone to her thigh and pulled a smart little knife from the sheath, holding it to his neck.

It took her another second to recognize her husband.

"Oh—oh—oh my darling, I am so sorry." She immediately replaced the knife. "You startled me, was all."

He touched his neck and looked at his fingers, but there was no blood. She was careful, at least. "It is my fault. I shouldn't have snuck in on you." He lifted himself and sat down on the edge of the bed, and Sila slowly sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm… alright." She put her hands on his shoulders. "Just a little sore."

"I'm sorry." He put his arms around her and kissed her. "I'm not… used to it."

"To what?" She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling.

"To being close to someone." He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. "There aren't many that…"

Sila shifted so that she was sitting up better, wanting to look into his face. She went on full alert. Any of this information could be useful.

"I'm sure you've noticed that… I have control issues. I get angry. If it frightens you, I apologize. I can't always…"

She kissed him. "It's alright. Really. It must be difficult when… because you've been so long without anyone. Someone to listen to what you have to say." She smiled. "I'm right here."

He nodded, looking at her. "Perhaps when you are healed, we can… I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"It was an accident," she assured him. "It happens." She hugged him again. He wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked softly in her ear.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You are changing me."

She tensed, anticipating anger, but his grip on her remained loose and comfortable.

"I don't know how, or why," he whispered fiercely.

"Maybe it's for the better," she suggested politely.

"I don't LIKE it!" he snapped, his breathing harsh. "But you are doing something to me, what is it? What is it, you desert WITCH?"

He pushed her back and grabbed her by the wrists, giving her a quick shake. She winced. "You're hurting me," she muttered, her voice going flat. He still gripped her, looking into her face, and she narrowed her eyes, looking up at him with anger. "Let. Me. Go."

They stared at each other. Even though her skin would be bruised all to hell in the morning, Sila kept a level gaze with him. Finally, he dropped her hands, but they continued to stare at each other.

"Please go now."

He looked at her wrists, the skin already going a deep purple. He reached to touch her hands, as if to apologize, and she slapped his hands away sharply. "Get out, _now._"

Ganondorf stood, and he left. He was in his rooms and stopped as he stared at his bed. Had he just been cowed by his wife? Rebuked like a spoiled child? No longer was he angry; he was mystified.

/

Zelda looked over her letter to Linna several times. It was short, succinct.

_Dear Linna,_

_I saw the flyers. You can take them down; I assure you I am alive and well. You have no reason to look for me. I will return home when I can. For now,_

and here she paused. She wanted to give Linna some indication that it was actually from her; so that she wouldn't believe it was a false letter. But what? She drummed her fingers nervously on the little table.

_For now, tell everyone not to worry. I am safe. Please, water my gladiolus._

It was the easiest thing she could think of; Zelda's favorite flowers were the gladiolus, and as such there was always a little square of their farmland set aside for them.

She folded the letter over neatly, and, after a few minutes of hesitation, she headed to Link's room.

She knocked, but there was no response. She tried not to listen too carefully, but she could hear a woman crying out in pleasure, and a faint thumping. She rolled her eyes.

It took a little while, but eventually the sounds stopped, and she could hear quiet laughter. Zelda stepped away from the door. Maybe she should come back at another time. She didn't realize how sharply it stung, and as she thought about Alejandro, she ran her fingers over her baby bump. Never again. Never again.

Fresh tears sprung to her eyes and she slowly slumped down onto the floor, and she let herself cry a little bit.

"Don't be so sour," a voice said from above her. She looked up at an unfamiliar guard. The guard shrugged. "He belongs to all of us, and none of us. He does threesomes, if that's your sort of thing."

"What? … What? I'm crying over my dead husband, not… not the biggest slut in the kingdom."

The guard shrugged her shoulders, and casually opened the door to Link's rooms. "You have a visitor," she called to him. "Hey, Lissi."

She shut the door again, and looked at Zelda. "He'll be out shortly." Then, she turned and continued her patrol.

Zelda forced herself to her feet. It took a little time, but soon Link peeked out, stepping out of the room and shutting the door.

"What is it?"

"Here." She held out the letter and turned to walk away.

"Wait."

Zelda stopped and looked at him. "Anything else?"

"Why does it bother you so much?"

"What?"

"I've told you; we have reasons for doing this."

"Don't you worry? About pregnancy, about sicknesses, anything?"

He shrugged. "We know of different herbs that can be used to prevent pregnancy. And why does it bother you so much? What do you care about us?"

Zelda folded her arms. "I guess it's just the way I am. Won't someone get hurt? You say it's just… something done to relieve stress, but are you sure that's all it is to everyone?"

He sighed. "It's… I'm just a tool to them, essentially. It's not a big deal."

"You admitted as well that you love Sila. Aren't you more than a tool to her?"

"Even if I am, she's not coming home, for a long time." He fingered the edge of the letter. "You can go take this to the falconer."

"The what?"

He pointed. "If you go down the other way, and then head to the back of the fortress, there's a little room with a dozen desert hawks and things. Hira should be there; she's the falconer. You can send this letter that way."

He handed it back, and Zelda crumpled it slightly in her fingers. They looked at each other for a second, and she noted the lines around his eyes, his haggard face.

"Go on," he ordered, turning away from her and going back into his rooms.

Zelda hesitated, but there was nothing more to say, and he wouldn't have listened.

/

A month ticked by. In the desert, the heat was starting to settle in for summer, and the Gerudo were hauling in extra supplies, as much as they could afford. Zelda never got a response from Linna, so she assumed all was well. Link had watched the Hylians pack up and leave the mines. They were wise to finish before it got too hot.

Zelda's belly continued swelling, and she could feel the baby kicking vigorously, sometimes so sudden it woke her out of sleep. Her aim was improving all the time. Now, a guard wearing armor was to ride back and forth while holding the target, to challenger her further. It was this that was her latest hang up; she didn't want to hit the guard.

"Are you even going to be able to do it?" the guard shouted in anger at her.

"Of course I am!" Zelda yelled back.

The guard flung the target to the ground. "No! I don't think you will!" She climbed down from her horse. "You're not a soldier! You're just… just a little housewife!"

"So what if I am? What's the problem with that? I don't go around killing people!"

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" The guard stormed over to her.

"I don't know!" Zelda stopped. "I… I do know. My husband, he—

"Yeah, yeah, we know. Everyone knows." The guard shifted her weight, pulling the helmet off. "So are you going to do it when it comes down to it? The king won't stand still and ask it to be done."

"I know."

She looked down at Zelda's belly, and her aggression cooled. "How far along are you?"

"A while. I've only a few months to go." She rubbed her stomach. "Do you want to touch it?"

"Ah, yeah." The guard hesitated, then put her hand on Zelda's stomach.

"He kicks a lot," Zelda said when the girl's eyes went all wide with surprise.

"Oh, you know what it is?"

"Um…" Zelda frowned a little. "Yeah."

"How do you know?"

"Well…" But Zelda couldn't recall; she felt someone had told her, but she didn't know who or how.

"Oh! He kicked again!" The guard gasped in surprise, and burst into laughter, taking her hand back. "Oh wow… that's so weird. We don't get too many pregnancies around here."

"Do you want kids some day?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, well, maybe. But I'm not counting on it." The guard shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe when we move into the castle."

"The castle?" Zelda looked at her in surprise.

"Well, yeah. Sila is going to need ladies-in-waiting and nurses for the child. Link is probably going to send a bunch of us in to do so."

"Oh, good." For a second, Zelda had thought that Link was planning a takeover once she…

The guard picked up the target again, and went to put it back. "I'm gonna head in. You should, too. It's starting to get hot."

/

In Hyrule, it was a little cooler. Sila had gone out into the gardens to see how they were growing, even though she'd been told everything was just starting to bud and nothing would be blooming. She was wrapped in a long coat against the chill.

"And here the foxgloves will be coming in. Near those are the delphiniums, nasturtiums are a little ways down…" One of the royal gardeners was explaining the strange plants to her, and Sila peered closely at each one, trying to memorize their names.

"Will they smell nice?" she asked.

"Oh yes, Your Majesty. The gardens are filled with only the most beautiful and fragrant flowers, to please you."

"When will they bloom?"

"In a few months yet, when it is warmer. I suspect the little prince will be born by that time."

Sila nodded. "Very good. Um… which ones can survive a hotter climate?"

"Ah… well, here are the hardier plants."

"I would like to send some to my home, as a greeting. We don't have many such plants in the desert. Mostly cactus."

"Unfortunately, those don't grow too well up here," the gardener said with a little smile. "Otherwise I would've planted one for you."

She smiled. "I would have been honored. The cactus is a good plant. It makes me think of my people. We survive even in the harshest of times."

The gardener nodded. "Yes. It's a tough plant. Sometimes, even beautiful when it blooms." He looked at her, then away, embarrassed. Sila laughed, as it seemed the gardener was coming on to her, if accidentally. She looked deeper into the gardens, hypnotized by the tidy rows of brown and green.

"Go on," she directed, following him into the hedges to explore the rest of the garden.

/

Ganondorf had been trying very, very hard. The old woman had done alright in abating his bloodlust, and the warming weather also gave him an excuse to leave the castle. He wasn't exactly ignoring his wife, but he wanted space and fresh air, places to calm his head. Sila had been cool towards him since that night, and he did not come to seek her out, claiming he wanted her to get her rest.

The sale of the Gerudo copper had gone well. Termina had bought most of it, and now he was able to siphon the money into his summer home, into the nursery, and a little into rebuilding some of the buildings and roads of Hyrule.

The ore wasn't worth much before refinement. His accountants had weighed it carefully and calculated the payout for the purchase of it as ore, before sending the money off to Gerudo as per their agreement. Once that was done, it was processed, and the gleaming metal, clean and pure, was then sold to neighboring countries at the high price of processed copper, netting a far wider profit for Hyrule.

The glass was a little trickier; only small amounts of the sand could actually be used to melt down into glass for bottles and windows, leaving the majority of it useless. It was returned to the desert, and Ganondorf only paid the country for the portions of sand that could be used.

As such, Link was disappointed when he realized the deal may be far worse for them that he had thought, but he said nothing to anyone else. At least now they could afford more water and food, by a certain margin. And once Sila overtook the castle, he would renegotiate the peace treaty to be more beneficial.

Ganondorf did not do much hunting anymore, either. Instead, he sent parties of some of his noble 'friends' to do so, claiming he had too much work, too much to focus on. Sila grew frustrated, as she knew Link was waiting for an opportunity. In the middle of the month, Link had sent her two doves as a pregnancy gift. When she tied a little note to one bird's leg thanking him, and sent it from the window, it came back in a few hours with a new note that was simply the letter L. So, she understood, this would be how she got hold of him quickly.

She kissed the little slip of paper and tucked it into her jewelry box for safekeeping. Now and again, missing him swept over her in a wave. She forced it to pass, her face grim with determination. When it proved too difficult and her longing for him was sharp and painful, she gave up and went to Ganondorf's rooms, knocking lightly.

"Come in," he called out. He looked up with a nod when he saw it was her. "How are you feeling today?"

"I am well," she replied in a calm tone. "How are you?"

He shrugged. "I am doing quite good. What do you need?"

She approached him, stepping in behind his desk and carefully settling on one leg. "My husband?" she asked quietly.

"Sila…" he muttered, as she took his hand, kissing the fingers. "You know we shouldn't. You are getting too close to laying in."

She tried to guide his hand under her skirts. "Please, my love."

"I don't want to injure you again. And I have books that need balancing."

"There are more ways to—

"NOT. Now." He cleared his throat. "Not right now. I have to tend to work. Control yourself, for Din's sake."

Sila bristled. "I am quite in control, sir."

"Can't you go learn embroidery or something? Is this all you do, complain and fuck?"

Oh great, he was in a mood. That meant a hunt very soon.

"Do you have to insult me so? Perhaps I could do more if you would talk to me. If you would tell me what you are working on so that I can learn to rule as effectively as you do."

"And why would you need to do that?" He watched her very closely.

"So that, if need be, I can help you. I can take some of the burden of ruling a kingdom off your shoulders. We are in this together. You need to remember that."

Ganondorf hesitated, looking at her. "I've been ruling this kingdom alone for a long time…" he started.

"Yes, through war and peace. It's very admirable. But Hyrule is growing. Its economy is improving, more people are coming to town… you're going to need help. That's what I want to do. I just want to help you make this country better." She kissed the palm of his hand, stroking it lovingly. Inside she felt sickened. "Please."

Finally, he relented. "Alright then. Here." He turned her around in his lap, looping one arm around her waist and starting to read out loud from their accounting book. Sila looked at everything, her eyes wide and non-blinking. Very valuable information was before her, very valuable indeed.

She settled in against Ganondorf's chest. Under his shirt, she could feel the key pressing into her arm. She hoped the little chunk of putty she'd hidden in the bed frame was still there.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, Ganondorf was pleased that Sila had wanted to learn. At first he'd assumed she was there to spy, then that she was too dim to be of much use besides creating heirs, then that she was using some sort of strange, desert curse on him. Now, he wondered only if he was being foolish and paranoid. He put his head to her shoulder, kissing it gently. Sila smiled a little to herself and set her pen down once the column she was checking had been totaled up.

"Now," she said, taking his free hand. "It's time for me to teach you."

/

Zelda was walking around the grounds of the fortress. She'd woken up with her child kicking sharply, and muttering curses, she decided to stand up, in the hope that it would calm them both back to sleep. The moon was a thin crescent, and the sand still carried the warmth of the sun. It wasn't altogether unpleasant. She halted, wary, when she saw another figure doing similar. Oh, she realized, it was Link.

He looked restless as well, and he was idly kicking at the sand, his hands on his hips. Slowly, she approached him.

"Hey."

He looked up in surprise; apparently he hadn't seen her. "Oh. Good evening."

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied curtly.

She nodded. "Sounds like my story."

Far across the desert, they heard the mournful sound of a wild dog howling.

"I've been having strange dreams," Link said suddenly. "Not sure… what they are. I never remember them when I wake. But… I know they're important."

Zelda felt a chill from more than the desert cold, but she said nothing.

"I want this over with soon. Before Sila has her child."

"I want it done, too. I want to go home."

"How is your archery?"

She tucked some hair behind one ear. "It's passable."

"I'm rethinking sending you to the castle."

"Oh?" She fiddled with her wedding ring.

"You're too far along. I think you would be more noticeable in your condition. It might not be safe to use you as a spy."

"Then what if Sila doesn't know when he goes on a hunt? We need some sort of spy presence in the castle."

He took a deep breath.

"I am thinking I will invite him to hunt with me."

"You'll lure him out?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Link looked out towards the desert, then back to her. "Which woods are it with wild boar?"

"The west."

"I can take him there."

"Is that your plan?" Zelda gripped his shoulder. "You keep changing it on me. I'm never sure what you want done, and you're not keeping me in the loop."

Link looked at her for a while. "Well."

"Why do you keep changing your mind? Tell me, right now, what is going to happen. And we will do exactly that."

"I want to lure him into the woods. Alone. Then, when it's just us, I am going to face him, and challenge him. I want to cut him down, leave him bleeding. If need be, I want you to distract him, but nothing more. He isn't a safe man."

"No, there's something you're not telling me, and I want to know." Zelda got in his face. "You keep saying over and over, he's dangerous, he's bad for Hyrule. You tell me."

"He… he just can't be allowed to rule. It will end badly for Hyrule if he does."

"How do you know this?" she shouted. "You can't possibly know that for sure! This is all just what you think will happen!"

Link grew angry. "Because if I am king of Hyrule, the Gerudo won't die out!" he shouted back.

Zelda leaned away from him, and she folded her arms. "Well. Was that so hard?"

Link cursed, then leaned into her, talking quietly. "Gerudo is dying. The plants the girls are ingesting… soon they can't get pregnant at all, even when they stop taking it. And our casualties and the wars bankrupted most of the country. We're… all that's left."

"Then stop fucking them!" she whispered angrily. "Think with your other head!"

He glowered at her, but continued. "Sila is important, because she is the last one who is pregnant. She can still reproduce. And you…" he touched her stomach gently, and she stepped back from his grasp. "I want you to stay here, so that…"

"So that my baby will join up with the Gerudo. It's not going to happen. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I will be going with you to those woods, now."

He narrowed his eyes. "You have to. We know where you live."

"Oh, so now we come down to the threats." She put a hand to her thigh, on her dagger.

"Are you going to slay me? Do you not think my soldiers would come after you?"

"I can seek asylum at the castle."

"I'm sure they'll be accommodating. 'Help me, Your Majesty! I killed the desert king because he threatened me when I said I wasn't going to assassinate you!' Do you really think they'll be so kind? Sila herself would slip into your room and slit your throat as soon as she was able."

Zelda knew she was trapped, but she was angry as well, and she let her mouth fly. "You can just get one of your whores to do it, then."

He slapped her quickly, and just as quickly she withdrew her dagger and cut him across the palm. It was shallow, but a thin line of blood appeared across the skin.

"Bitch," he hissed. "Don't you call them that."

"True. Why call them that? You're the real slut. You'd probably fuck a sheep if it got too close."

"You're happy to go beg at the mercy of your own husband's killer! I'd rather fuck a sheep than beg like a dog to a murderer!"

"You don't have ANY proof that he's done it!"

"You don't have any proof to the contrary, but clearly you believed me so badly, you came running here as soon as you could! What, were you hoping to get a pity fuck from me?"

"What? That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Who knows what you're riddled with? Farore herself couldn't get me to even touch you!" Zelda winced and put a hand to her back. The strain and her pounding heart had her baby dancing painfully on her spine.

"You will do it, if I have to drag you out there myself."

"I will miss," she snarled. "Just to spite you."

"Then maybe I should kill you after I kill him."

"How do you know I won't shoot you instead?"

They glared at each other. Link's hand was clotting, and he looked down at it, flexing the fingers, then back to her. There was a dark grin on his face, and she stepped back, holding the dagger waist-high.

"You're a lot like her," he said.

"Who?"

"Sila. Angry, impulsive… she and I fought like this at first, too."

"Well, if you think I'm going to become your number one w.. woman, than you're in for disappointment."

"I know." He closed his hand tight again, and he calmed, his smirk fading. "I'm sorry." He slumped down onto the sands. "I'm terrible at this. I can barely hold this country together. I never should have been made their leader."

He seemed calm, but Zelda was wary. She took a little step back before settling on the sands.

"I didn't realize how much she helped until now. She's been gone so long."

Zelda nodded. "If you don't mind me asking… how were you made leader?"

Link sighed. "The usual way. I was selected to run this outpost. As you can tell… I'm at least half-Hylian," he said, tugging one ear. "He felt it would be easier to have me play ambassador from this outpost to Hyrule because of my looks."

"Who?" she asked.

"My captain."

"Where is he now?"

Link shrugged. "Not sure. He hasn't come to see us in ages. I think they might've forgotten us." He looked at her. "I'm… I'm not gonna kill you. I'm just frustrated, and on edge. I want this done."

Zelda shrugged, though of course she was still going to watch out for herself when this was over. "How's your hand?"

"It's healing. Good to know you're quick with a knife."

They sat on the warm sands in silence for a while, watching the stars.

"Can I trust you? That you won't try to kill me in my sleep?" she asked, looking at him sharply.

"Yes. You can trust me."

But she wasn't sure.

/

Ganondorf lay next to Sila, snoring gently. Finally, maybe she could get some work done.

He'd taken off the necklace and left it on the bedside table. It kept getting tangled in her hair or dangling in her face. Carefully, Sila moved, going still after each groan of the wood frame. When she was confident Ganondorf was not going to wake easily, she slipped her hand up underneath the bed, finding the little lump of clay and quickly working it in her hand to warm it up and make it pliable. Then, she grabbed the key and pressed it flat into the clay, before replacing it and tucking the putty back up under the bed. She could extract it later, hopefully.

Sila rolled back up onto the bed and snuggled up next to Ganondorf. He was muttering in his sleep, but she couldn't recognize the words.

/

The white-haired maid was stalking him through tall pillars, just outside of his field of vision. She was whispering words at him, words he couldn't quite hear. Now and again, tiny shooting stars would fly at him, hissing in the snow around his feet.

As he moved deeper into the woods, he felt a searing heat, despite the snow remaining unmelted.

"Who are you?" he called out, looking around, trying to catch sight of her. "Who do you work for?"

The heat was unbearable, and he was sweating under his clothes.

"If you confess, I will reward you handsomely."

The heat was inside him, burning him up from the inside out.

"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!" he roared, collapsing to his knees. Before him on the ground, he saw bare feet. He looked up and saw the maid's face, a pale oval with two blue eyes like chips of ice.

"JudgeJuryExecutionerrrr—" her voice rasped, both male and female at once whispering over each other, the words blending over top of each other. She lifted up a sword, almost as long as herself, and plunged it down through his head.

/

Ganondorf woke with a holler. He was soaked in sweat just as he had been in his dream, and a headache had cracked open behind his eyes. He gasped, sucking in air like he'd been holding his breath.

"Are you alright?" Sila sat up, looking at him with wide eyes. His shout had startled her.

"Yes… I'm… a nightmare." He rubbed his chest uncomfortably. Now that the covers were flung off, he was starting to cool down. Underneath it, he could feel the itch coming back. Just a twinge of it. Then it was gone.

Sila frowned. "Let me get you some water." She rolled quickly out of bed, dropping a little heavily on her feet before rushing to the pull cord. While he was still sitting in bed, bewildered, she slipped the putty in her hands into her pocket.

Maids came in and she ordered them about quickly, having them draw a cool bath for Ganondorf and bring in chilled water. Ganondorf was baffled by the flurry, and in his bewilderment and headache, he saw her. The pale-haired maid with dark blue eyes.

"No!" he shouted, and he grabbed her, slapping her twice and flinging her to the ground. The maid yelped in alarm and started to cry, staring at him in horror.

"I—I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—" she started to whimper. The women around him stopped, aghast.

Ganondorf looked at the girl again, and saw she wore a fabric covering over dark brown hair, and her eyes were brown.

He froze, and looked towards Sila, who looked at him in alarm.

"Get out," he muttered. "GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

He turned and grabbed the bedside dresser, tossing it aside with a roar. Sila opened the door to his bedroom and left quickly, the maids running out after her and leaving it open. Ganondorf stormed to the door and slammed it once they were gone, his chest heaving.

The dark-haired maid was sobbing, and she barely made it out of his rooms before she collapsed on the floor, curling up. Some of the other maids stopped to help her up, telling her it was okay, that everyone had gotten yelled at once or twice by the king, and she would be fine.

Sila dashed to her rooms and quickly scribbled a note, tying it to one of the dove's legs and sending it flying. She was confident he was going to hunt today, she was sure of it. Her heart was in her throat. In a few hours, her husband may be dead.

/

Zelda woke up with a jolt. She had left Link on the sands not long after their conversation tapered off, and she crawled back into her own bed to toss and turn for a few hours, until at dawn she fell asleep and dreamed of something she couldn't remember.

But now there was pounding on her room door.

"UP! NOW!" It was Veru shouting. Zelda forced herself out of bed and she waddled quickly to the door.

"What? What is it?"

"He's going on a hunt today. We just received word from Sila."

"Any idea where?"

"No, not yet. But get up. Get ready. Here." Veru tossed a bunch of cloth at Zelda, and she soon realized it was an outfit. "The colors will keep you camouflaged."

Zelda nodded. "I'll change immediately."

"Wait in the main hall when you are done," she commanded, before abruptly turning and leaving.

Zelda shook out the articles of clothing. The outfit was a loose brown skirt that hung to her ankles, with a long-sleeved tunic dress that fell to her knees, along with a pair of leather fingerless gloves to protect her palms from the bow string. Zelda tied her hair back once dressed and went quickly down to the hall to wait.

Link was there as well, dressed in a full set of black armor.

"Won't you be heavy and loud?" she asked him.

"I plan to go toe to toe with him," Link replied. "I want to wear armor."

"I assume this is the plan we're going with, then," Zelda said, recalling their late-night fight. She glanced at Link's hand, but it was covered in a black leather gauntlet.

"Yes," he answered her curtly.

Zelda's every nerve felt as tight as her bowstring, and her heart raced. Soon, very soon, she may have to kill a man.

/

Sila kept her ears tuned, her arms folded. She was waiting for the sound of the hounds and Ganondorf's heavy riding boots. He had to go out soon, didn't he?

But there was nothing, and after a few hours, she sent another quick note to Link.

/

Link looked up sharply as the dove flew in over their heads through one of the small windows, and it went around in a circle before coming down to land on his outstretched arm. He quickly removed the note and handed it to Zelda, and she opened it.

"Where do we have to go?" he demanded.

Zelda glanced at him. "It says 'false alarm'."

"What?" Link grabbed the note and looked at it himself, before crumpling and throwing it to the ground. "Din's breath," he cursed, then sent the dove off with a gentle toss of his arm.

Most of the guards around them groaned in frustration, and left the room. Tamri approached Link and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, all that tension leaves your nerves frazzled, doesn't it?" she asked, obviously hinting for something.

"Not right now," Link growled. Tamri pouted her lower lip, but she left to go find other pursuits.

Zelda rubbed her eyes. She would kill for a bath and a beer. Ha. "Well then. Since we're all woken up anyway, why don't you find me a reason to hate my king."

"Wait. Just a second ago you were ready to follow me to the woods to kill him. Now you want proof again? You're ridiculous." Link shook his head, clucking his tongue. "Fine. Let's go to my rooms."

They headed back upstairs, and Zelda settled in at the desk, her hands folded. Link started to shuffle through the papers, then the desk drawers, until he found what he needed.

"Here…" he handed a piece of paper to her, "is a transcript of a conversation overheard at one of the bars. Supposedly, the one talking is one of His Majesty's guards. Claims he's usually one of the ones to go hunting with His Majesty."

Zelda looked at it, then at him.

"We do more than just drink and sing at those taverns, you know," Link muttered.

Zelda looked back to the transcript, scanning the first several lines until she saw 'dark-haired man'. Then, she went back to the top, and started reading.

/

"What's wrong, handsome? If you just lost your girl, I can be an easy replacement." Tamri settled in next to the guard at the bar counter, who was clutching a pint and looking haunted. He barely glanced at the Gerudo woman.

"Oh. No. Nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" Tamri lightly touched his cheek, mentally going through a checklist. He fit the profile; he'd seen something horrible.

"I… I watched a man die. Two men. Two men die."

"Oh… that sounds awful. Were you in the war?"

"No." He took a drink. "No, this… this was recent."

"Were they related to you, sweetie?"

"No. Just… strange men. didn't know them."

"Then… what happened? Tell me, I can help you." She scooted up closer to him.

"Um… w… well I think… my boss murdered them."

"Your boss? Like… your captain?"

"N… no."

Tamri leaned in, barely a whisper. "The king?"

Reluctantly, the guard nodded.

Tamri gasped sharply. Inside, she started listening very closely.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She rubbed his arm affectionately.

"W… well. Um. It was a couple months back."

"Mm-hmm."

"W… we went out on the hunt. Sometimes the king likes to hunt wild game to uh… relieve stress. You know. He has a hard time… with the kingdom." He took another drink, then motioned for another beer.

"I can imagine," Tamri said sympathetically.

"Yeah. So. Uh. We went out to the south woods. We were after deer, I think. Anything we could find. We got separated from him, me and my teammate, and I got some pheasants and stuff, things like that. Bow hunting. So we went to catch up to the king in case… in case of trouble. But… we saw."

"What?" Tamri leaned in close, barely whispering. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brida sitting at a table, on the side closest to them, scribbling on paper.

"He didn't know the trees were a little sparse around him, or uh, he didn't care, I don't know. I watched him. He… he grabbed this old man and ran him through with his sword, then this young dark-haired man came running; I think they'd been tracking a deer or something, and he grabbed the guy, the young guy got grabbed by the hair, and he just… he cut him up. He cut his damn head off."

The knight was near tears. Tamri was inwardly annoyed; had he never seen combat? What a child.

"Oh Nayru's tears," she gasped in horror.

"And… and he tried to cover it up. He kicked some snow around and stuff, cus the hounds were coming. But… he drank the guy's blood, and…" The guard gritted his teeth, and when the bartender set his beer down, he took a long pull. "He drank the guy's blood. I was so horrified I… I lost it. The dogs were just going crazy and I was just getting sick and my partner said nothing, he just helped haul the bodies away and we covered them up and that was it. He told us it was a boar, but…"

The knight finished off his beer. "I didn't see any damn boar. Just him."

/

Zelda's hands went cold. Tears went to her eyes and she looked at Link.

"Is this true?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

"Yes, as far as I understand."

"How did… how did you get this?"

"We transcribed it right there at the bar. One girl talked to him and both listened."

"Is…" Zelda crumpled around her stomach. "Are you sure this is true? Every word of it? You didn't just make this up to… to keep me on your side?"

"Do you want me to see if we can hunt this man down? Drag him here? Because I will, if that's what it takes for you to believe this. Ganondorf is a violent murderer. He is dangerous. The longer he is left in office with this bloodlust, the sooner we may face another war so he can cover up his killings."

"I just… I just…" She covered her mouth with her hands, and Link ran to get a bowl of sand for her, running back quickly and holding it under her mouth. She managed to hold onto her stomach.

"If I find out… in any capacity that this is a lie… I swear on my husband and father's graves that I will come here and I will cut you open from chin to balls," she rasped, trembling.

"And I would let you, because it would mean that my own group had betrayed my deepest trust in them."

He stood and went to her, and wrapped his arms around her. The transcript had ripped her emotional wounds open all over again, and she sobbed into his chest.

Eventually, Zelda's crying subsided, and Link moved back behind his desk.

"H… how long have you had this?"

Link looked away. "A couple weeks."

"W… why did you wait so long to show me this? Why did you have… why did you hide this from me?" she cried.

"I didn't know how you would take it. And in your condition, I thought it would be too shocking. But when you started to question me again, I knew you had to see it."

He watched her. Zelda kept one hand constantly on her belly, as if her baby's kicks were reassuring.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked in a soft tone.

"No, I'm not okay!" she snapped.

"I mean… you're not going into contractions."

She sniffed and shook her head. "No. I don't think so."

"If you need to lay down for a bit…"

Zelda stood carefully, slowly. "I'll go lay down in my own rooms, thank you. I'd rather be alone."

Link nodded in understanding and looked away. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly.

"You've been saying that a lot, lately," she retorted.

He shrugged. "I've needed to."

Zelda braced herself on the back of the chair, thinking. "Invite him to go hunting. As soon as possible. I want this done."

Link nodded again. "I will."


	7. Chapter 7

His rooms were too small, too private, and there were too few hiding places, never mind how bad it looked in general to have dead bodies rotting under the bed.

But the gardens were a huge enough maze.

Ganondorf went walking through the hedges, attended only by one maid; the one he'd slapped. It was safer, he assured himself. In one pocket was his letter opener. The maid kept a little ways behind him, fearful and unsure of what he wanted. Over the past few days, Sila had been particularly loathsome, the people had been rebelling against the newly-proposed taxes on market-sold items (general items; there was already a different tax on food products) and he just. Needed. It.

The maid, bless her, wasn't the sharpest sword. She did the jobs she could, as long as she was shown how once or twice, and that was it. So she assumed that she simply had failed the king in some way. Even now, she wasn't sure why he had singled her out to show him the trouble spots in the garden, but she hoped to correct any mistakes in this way.

Ganondorf could feel the thin edge of the letter opener. She was young, so young. She would put up a good fight. He stepped up slowly behind the maid, taking longer steps to her timid stride.

They were deep in the oldest parts of the maze now, where the hedge was thickest.

The maid halted. Some prey animal instinct was telling her to turn around, to catch him before he could sneak too close.

"Your Majesty?" she asked, as she looked back over her shoulder.

He grabbed her and flung her to the ground. She landed hard on her back, and the wind was knocked out of her. As she struggled to breathe, he pushed her down, bearing down on her with his weight and holding the letter opener high, aiming for one of those dark brown eyes. Tonight he would sleep like the baby in his wife's stomach, tonight he could relax—

"Your Majesty!"

A voice called for him in the distance. Ganondorf swore and hauled himself up. The maid remained small and terrified on the ground, in a little puddle of warmth. He turned his head towards the voice.

"Your Majesty! Visitors!"

"Damn it all," he growled. He turned back to the terrified girl. "Get out. Leave here and do not return. If you tell anyone, I will come after you, and I will not be stopped."

She hesitated only a second, but as Ganondorf turned away with a glowering face and murder in his heart, she thanked the Goddesses for their mercies and ran.

To his surprise, it was the desert king, with a few of his women in tow. He'd almost forgotten that once Sila had been part of this… brothel of war.

"What can I do for you, Link?" he boomed, immediately summoning a cheerful countenance. It would cost him great strain, he knew.

"Well. We wanted to come somewhere a little cooler for a few days. It's already in the high 70s out there in the desert." He laughed.

"Oh, how sad I am for you. Meanwhile, here we are bedding down for the next snowstorm. Hopefully the last of the year."

He led his guests into the castle.

"I wanted to see Sila and how she is doing, as well. I know that she's due soon. I hope we can be there?"

"Well, if I can catch you in time, I know she'd be honored."

"It seems Hyrule is coming along nicely, have the copper sales been useful?"

"Oh yes…"

/

While the men talked below, Sila was up to something less innocuous.

She had gathered up some of her bits of broken gold jewelry and melted it down over a fire. Then, using the putty as a mold, she made a dummy key. The soft gold would only be good for a few tries, so she had limited chances to use it, and couldn't let it bend. She would keep it in the putty until it was fully cured.

Her head snapped up when there was a knock at her door. She tucked away her little smelting operation and hid the putty in that same jewelry box.

"Come in."

After a pause, a guard stepped in and bowed. "My lady, there are guests requesting your presence."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The desert king."

Sila bit back a smile. "Good. I shall be down shortly."

She put her hair down and put on a clean robe over her dress, tying it loosely. After a moment's hesitation, she added fresh drops of scent to her neck and wrists, then she floated down to the main hall where Ganondorf would be stern-facedly entertaining.

/

Zelda was waiting in the main hall of the fortress. When they were heading to the west woods, Link would have Sila send a bird to them. As soon as she got the message, she was to head west to meet them, but not be seen. Link explained that he wanted her to be a sneak attack. This settled with her. She hoped she would be able to catch up to them quickly enough.

She rested her head on one wall, sighing. Link had been explicit that she was to stay there, her horse at the ready, to receive the message at any time. Her cot had been moved to the hall, which helped, but beyond that there was nothing to do. She practiced, testing how quickly she could reload and fire again, moving back and forward from the target. Mostly, she missed.

The guards watched her try, but they did not offer advice. They rolled and smoked cigarettes, they muttered to each other about idle things, like Sila's pregnancy or the mines being closed up for summer. Some of them had gone to the West Woods with dead desert hares and foxes, to drag them in meandering trails through the trees to distract the hounds. A group of them were sent to do this every day and night, until word was sent.

Time crawled by for all of them, as they watched the windows, waiting for a bird.

/

It took roughly four days. Link's instructions to the group of soldiers he'd brought with him had been simple. Eat and drink as much as they could, hog the resources of the castle, and antagonize the king.

With food supplies always at a trickle in the desert, they had no problems keeping up. They devoured roasted foul with their bare hands, mopping up the leftover gravy with thick chunks of bread torn off the loaves. They drank up the wine like water, and when that was in short supply, they turned to the harder stuff, which led to some scuffles with flustered maids, unwanted advances on the wary guards, demands for entertainment from the local acting troupe and more.

Link partook, but in a diminished capacity. He kept his eye on Ganondorf, waiting to see the man snap. He thought he could recognize the edge of blind anger in his clenched fists, his gritted teeth, his narrowed eyes. Any minute now, he would think to himself. They would need more food, soon. He did not want to be under the table with drink when they left.

Sila chatted amicably with the soldiers she thought of as her sisters. They talked excitedly about her pregnancy, she showed them the nursery and the tiny toys and outfits laid out for their child, the royal crib that all royal children had slept in since the third family of Hyrule. But she was tense; the way Link eyed up the king and how the girls stuffed themselves even when they'd just been nattering on about how full they were; her husband was being led, and she knew it. She wondered if he had any clue.

On the third day of their stay, a cold front came over Hyrule. A freeze had settled in on the land, and in some parts of the country there was even a little snow falling again. The Gerudo complained bitterly, demanding bigger fires and borrowing heavy furs to traipse around the castle. When the cooks were late with breakfast, Ganondorf sent Sila to find out why.

The cook gestured helplessly, and Sila was shocked at the destruction that had been laid on the kitchens. The flour stores were significantly depleted, and the season for growing was at a slow start. There were only a few sad chickens left, depleted egglayers that were now meant for the stewpot due to the toughness of the meat. Fruits and vegetables were starting to go off, and their water was also in low reserve.

Sila immediately went to her husband's rooms, but he had apparently left after sending her downstairs.

"His Majesty invited him down to the courts to play some rounds of Bocce," a guard informed her. Sila stormed away, fuming, but when she returned to her rooms, she stopped. It was ridiculous, when she thought about it; Link and Ganondorf both hated those sorts of sporting games. She glanced to her jewelry box and went inside, fishing out her dummy key. It had solidified nicely. She plucked it out of the putty and tucked it into one pocket, heading back to her husband's rooms. The guards made no comment; who were they to question their queen's actions and risk beheadings?

Sila shut the door firmly behind her, and looked at the spot where the hidden passage was. She walked to it quickly, and flipped up the wall sconce, unlocking the door.

The key worked enough to open the door, though it was a little warped when she pulled it back out. Well, one time would be enough. The door swung open soundlessly, and she wrinkled her nose at the faint stink that came with it. It was something she couldn't replace; something that had burned, something sour and stale. And it was incredibly dark in there.

Sila hesitated long enough to find a candle to light, and then she walked in, watching out for things underfoot. All she saw was a dark streak, that was slightly tacky and crumbled under her steps. About ten feet in, the passage opened up into the room, where the stink was stronger.

Sila looked around with huge eyes, noting the vials, the jars, the large splotch on the ground in one corner, and the dozens of books. One was half-tucked into place, and the dust on it was lighter. She pulled it out and idly flipped through, catching words that gave her a cold chill and made her feel sick. There were acceptable levels of this sort of alchemy. Things to prevent or encourage pregnancy, to help mend a cold or to worsen a plague. These things she knew were done.

But the one line they hesitated to cross, that line of defying the natural order, of stealing life from another person to extend one's own. The book had no chapter list, so she had to hunt for the recipe she was sure he would use. As she read it over, her skin got cold, and their child thrashed in her belly, as if it too could read the page. Next to the list of ingredients were little checkmarks. One ingredient, 'blood relation', had a word, written in Ganondorf's own neat script.

Soon.

/

At dinner (chicken dumpling stew), Link looked at Sila, wondering if she had understood what to do. When the royal band started to play at the insistence of the guests, Link stood up to ask her to dance, and Sila shook her head.

"The baby's been dancing enough for me," she answered. "I don't know if I could take any more."

He laughed and nodded. "It seems I've lost the attentions of all my women," he said, turning as Ganondorf was pulled from his chair by Brida, who did so with a stern face and looking for all the world as if she intended to fight him instead.

Link went to sit next to Sila, keeping his posture relaxed and leaning back from her.

"How was your day?" he asked her quietly.

Sila shrugged. "Uneventful. I heard you played Bocce with my husband."

He chuckled and drank the last of his wine. It was sour and weak, far too young in the aging process. "Yes. It was dismal. I should like to run my sword through the inventor of that."

Sila laughed and shook her head. "I'm sure you would."

"Did you find anything useful?" he asked in a light tone, watching the girls dance.

"Yes," she replied. She shuddered when she recalled that list. "I found a recipe." She touched her belly protectively.

"What kind of recipe?" Link's tone had gone cold under his smile.

"Eternal life," she replied. "Under the next full moon. Once our child is born. He is going to steal her life for his own."

Link set down his wine glass before he broke it, his jaw twitching. Sila wanted to kiss that nerve, she wanted to grab him and pull him close. Seeing him here and so close, she realized with a sharp pang that she missed him desperately.

Sila swallowed around the lump in her throat.

/

It was late.

It had to have been past three o'clock. The guards were mostly asleep or playing cards in the main hall. A few had let themselves be wooed by their exotic guests and were busy with those pursuits.

Sila snapped awake when she heard a faint, light tapping at her bedroom door, and reluctantly she climbed out of bed, pausing with her hand on the door and leaning towards the crack in the frame.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me," came back his soft whisper. Sila closed her eyes and carefully opened the door, letting him in.

"Hi," she whispered, shutting the door quickly behind him. Link turned and looked at her in the moonlight, touching her stomach.

"It should be ours," he said quietly, sadly.

"I know," she replied. "Maybe after this one is born, we can… try again."

"If I can get near to you," he said with a shrug. "You'll be in mourning for a long time."

"Yes," Sila said, touching his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Sila reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, pressing against—her damn stomach was in the way. She cursed and kept kissing him, desperate and hungry. He touched her hair, her face, down to her heavy breasts where she moaned and bit his lower lip.

She pushed him over to the bed and shoved him down where he fell back. He sat up quickly in response and grabbed her by the upper arms, sitting her down and kissing her mouth.

"I miss you so much," he said. "No one else compares."

He lifted her night dress and she felt tears rolling down her face in longing. "Take your time, please," she whispered.

"Alright," he answered. He kissed her again, then, with one hand still on her thigh, he sank down onto the floor on his knees, pulling her to the edge of the bed.

/

Ganondorf was up early the next morning, sitting in his rooms and balancing the books, trying to find where he could squeeze more money from exporting tariffs to purchase supplies for the castle for the next several weeks. It was early, the light dim from the constant cloud cover; the cold snap was getting worse, and the falling snow was thicker than before.

He jerked his head up when he heard a sharp knock at the door, wary. What problems now? What did people need him for now? If it was Sila, coming in here with a slut's step and begging for him to touch her, he would throw her out, damn the pregnancy.

When it was Link, however, he was puzzled and relieved, and he begged inwardly that Link would announce their departure today.

"I'm glad we can finally get along," Link said as he sat down.

"As am I," Ganondorf replied blandly, looking at him. They stared at each other, and bubbling hatred swelled in the both of them. Ganondorf cleared his throat sharply.

"What can I do for you, then?"

"I think we should go for a hunt. The ladies… they say the wild boar roasts of Hyrule are a rare treat, and best when fresh. It might be just the thing to take a chill off the edge of the day."

"Sounds very good." Ganondorf slowly closed his books. "If you need to borrow weapons and armor, I'm sure the guards can help to outfit your group."

"Oh, not the girls. Are you serious?" Link chuckled. "They wouldn't know anything about hunting down a boar. They've never hunted up anything bigger than a man for the night, and I hear there's some breeds 'round here that are massive. It will help to blow off some steam."

Ganondorf agreed with Link, but not quite in the way he thought he intended. "Yes. Perhaps a hunt would be good. When did you want to go?"

"Quite soon, if possible. I'm feeling energetic, today." Link smiled a little, but Ganondorf did not get the joke.

/

Zelda's eyes snapped open. The lingering traces of her dream faded into the howling wind around the fortress.

"Zelda."

She rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. There was a small white bird perched in a windowsill. It cooed before taking off, flapping rapidly down to one of the guard's outstretched arms. The guard removed the tied note and handed it off to her.

Zelda eagerly opened the scroll of paper and nodded. It said only one word, "Go".

In less than an hour, her horse was prepared and she had dressed, bundled against the cold, heading west.

/

They packed two horses, their breath steaming in the cold. The horses were attached to the same little cart.

"I hear they're quite plentiful in the West Woods," Link called out, checking his borrowed sword for sharpness. He glanced at Ganondorf to judge his reaction.

"Ah…" Ganondorf did not answer him. "Yes, that's what I've heard."

Liar.

As usual, two guards followed with the hounds.

It took a few hours for them to get to the West Woods. The dogs were freaking out, baying and escaping the guards' grasp, running off in a confusing spread.

"Collect them, you idiots!" Ganondorf snapped at the guards.

They left the horses at the edge of the woods and dismounted. In places, the trees grew so thick that there would be no room for the horses. Neither man was sure where he was headed; they continued to walk deep into the thick of the woods. Here the cover overhead was better, and there were only patches of snow on the ground. Ganondorf pointed out boar tracks where he could find them, and they followed them in silence.

/

Zelda arrived at the forest an hour or two after they did. She dismounted her horse and left it some distance from theirs, hoping she would be able to get back to it. They were thick and foreboding, these woods. It was said children got lost in them all the time, and never came out.

She stepped carefully, the leaves and sticks crunching and rustling under her heavy boots. She headed diagonally, approximately towards where she thought they would be. Her heart was pounding and the cold air was painful in her lungs. She was glad for grabbing her coat at the last second.

"Where are you?" she whispered under her breath, licking her lips. If only they'd had a trail or a way to communicate!

She walked for an hour in the woods, always heading in the same direction. Zelda looked down by chance, and a little bit ahead of her she saw a patch of snow with a fresh footprint, a huge man's boot. It pointed off to her left. She turned and followed.

/

Ganondorf was growing impatient. He was wasting valuable time out here in the woods with this useless idiot. The boar tracks had long gone stale, and the hounds were nowhere to be found to aid them. Link claimed he was confident they would find one, and they just had to keep looking, keep waiting.

"Are you thinking of names for the baby?" Link asked quietly.

"No."

"Why not?"

Ganondorf snorted. "Women's work. They can worry about all that."

Link glared at him. "It will be your heir. Don't you think about it at all?"

"No. I don't like to dwell on such things. I'm busy trying to run a country."

"Isn't taking care of its future part of that?"

"Oh, because you're an expert at keeping a country thriving. How are the desert sluts, anyway? I suppose I could at least keep it as a brothel, or a prison."

Link's hand went to his pommel. "We do what we can. Surely you don't think Hyrule is doing so well."

"It will do fine. There are new taxes, new tariffs. Everything I do is for my country's benefit. I cannot trust anyone else with it."

"Even Sila?"

Ganondorf looked back at him, and Link was a little too slow in disguising his look of hatred.

"Especially not Sila. She doesn't know Hyrule at all. She's not even been queen for a year." Ganondorf walked over to Link, towering over him. "But don't you worry about her. She'll never have to rule without me."

"What do you plan to do, kill her? If so, I'll take her back and declare the treaty void, as well as close off the mines to you again."

"You go and do that. Do you think Gerudo will survive another war?"

They had forgotten their pretense of hunting, and were arguing full-on, their voices echoing. This was, unbeknownst to them, to Zelda's advantage.

She followed their carrying voices, keeping an eye out. She did not want to stumble across them and be seen, ruining everything.

She stumbled on the edge of the clearing, the two of them shouting into each other's face. Zelda stepped back carefully, and she withdrew her bow and an arrow, carefully arming.

"I don't think we'll have to do anything of the sort," Link snapped, withdrawing his sword.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Of course. Of course. This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To kill me!" He burst into laughter, throwing his head back.

"Good! GOOD! I relish a challenge, surely you know that. You think you can stand against me with an unfamiliar weapon?"

Link stepped back, holding the sword low. "I think I'll do just fine."

"You damned fool. When I kill you, I shall tell my darling wife of your betrayal. I will enslave the rest of your whores, or sell them to Termina to be their problem. I'll leave your body here to rot, alone in the woods. Your skeleton will be nothing but dust before I come close to my life's end."

Link gritted his teeth. "I doubt that very much."

"Oh do you? You do not know the plans I have. The things I know. You're too busy hunting up your next cunt to think of the big picture."

"Am I? You don't think everything that's been done has been calculated? Thought over carefully?"

Zelda rolled her eyes, but didn't think it a good time to dispute Link's preparedness.

"I'm sure you've explored every avenue. But I've been playing this game for a long time, boy. You don't know who you are dealing with." Ganondorf unsheathed his sword and hefted its weight, stepping back, taking slow, deep breaths. He was pulling in his rage, focusing it, letting it fill him with the energy for a fight. Link smirked.

"Hey."

"What, you idiot?" Ganondorf tilted his head up, hearing the singing pick up in his ears.

"I fucked your wife last night."

"What?" It took a second to register. "What?"

Link narrowed his eyes. "Funny. She has a king and she still prefers a broke soldier of a dying country. How hard does she come for you?"

Zelda muttered a curse under her breath. Their dick-waving tactics were disgusting.

But of course, there was a point to it.

"You did no such thing," Ganondorf rasped, his eyes wide with rage.

Link shrugged. "You can ask her when you get back if you kill me."

"Typical slut!" Ganondorf shouted. "You! You slut-dealer! You knew it would happen!"

"Are we going to fight or are you just going to whine at me about how you can't please a 'desert slut' as you call them?"

"YOU—

Ganondorf charged blindly, swinging. Link stepped back away from him, careful of the sword's reach. He finally lifted his sword to knock the swings away, deflecting them to either side. When the sword fell to his right, Link moved in with his left hand, trying to get in a sharp thrust. He got in too close, and Ganondorf grabbed him by the head, holding him in place. Link stared up into his face, his own full of malice.

"Now," Ganondorf breathed.

Zelda lifted her bow and took careful aim, her skin clammy. "Don't miss, don't miss," she whispered under her breath.

Link struggled, swinging his sword around and bringing it down on Ganondorf's shoulder. It clanged uselessly off the metal pauldrons.

Ganondorf roared with laughter at his easy, stupid victory, and started to lift his sword hand. "Good bye, you damned blight," he growled in Link's face.

Zelda closed her eyes and whispered a little word of prayer, and fired.


	8. Chapter 8

The arrow sunk neatly through Ganondorf's sword hand. He shouted in alarm and dropped his sword, staring at it as if confused, then turning his head and locking eyes with Zelda. Her baby kicked furiously, and she winced and crumpled.

"YOU!" he roared. "YOU DAMNED COUNTRY BROAD!" He looked back to Link. "How many people are you going to have killed over your greed?"

Link hoisted his sword and tried to strike at him, but Ganondorf grabbed the blade and ripped it from Link's hands, chucking it to one side.

"I'll kill you both," he snarled. "With my own hands." He grabbed Link around the throat and started to squeeze.

Zelda reloaded and fired again. The arrow went wild, barely glancing off Ganondorf's forehead.

"DAMN IT!" he shouted, chucking Link to the ground like a doll. Link collapsed in a heap, gasping and choking for breath. Zelda watched as Ganondorf charged her, her eyes wide.

"COME HERE," he snapped, frothing at the mouth. As quickly as she could, she reloaded and fired again. This time, it sunk into his eye. Ganondorf kept coming, even as the blood and a horrible clear fluid ran down his cheek. Zelda backed up out of his grasp, her baby thrashing so hard she could barely breathe.

Link, still winded, forced himself up. He grabbed his sword and started after Ganondorf, clutching his chest.

"I'll rip your child from your body," Ganondorf was growling under his breath, "and snap its little neck before your horrified eyes as you die."

"No!" Zelda shouted.

"I'll burn you alive at both ends, your hair and feet aflame. Your heads will be on pikes, as a warning to those who cross me."

Link started to jog, bringing his sword up. He was close enough now, he was certain he could—

Ganondorf whipped around and smashed his fist into Link's face, breaking his nose. Blood sprayed onto the snow and Link stumbled backwards, dazed.

Ganondorf roared with laughter, elated and smiling. This was the most fun he'd had in a long time. "Come on! Come after me! Try again!" he goaded, gesturing towards Link.

Zelda reloaded and fired again, but the arrow glanced off his armor. She swore and grabbed another arrow.

Link headed towards Ganondorf again, blood running down his neck from his nose. He started to swing, slowly, and Ganondorf reached to stop the sword. At the last second, Link changed his grip, and the sword point drove through the palm of Ganondorf's hand and out the other side.

Ganondorf's grin fell now, and he roared in pain. He tried to pull his hand off the blade, but Link kept pushing it forward. Zelda grabbed her little dagger and came up behind Ganondorf. At the gap at his side, between the panels of armor, she thrust the little knife. He turned and struck her, hard enough to knock her down. Zelda turned to land on her hip, sending shockwaves of pain through her bones. But her belly was safe.

Ganondorf turned towards her again, lifting his boot to stomp on her. Link moved forward and grabbed Ganondorf's armor, hauling him off balance in the opposite way and down. Again, Zelda got to her feet and grabbed another arrow. But where? Where to hit him?

There was no need; Ganondorf glowered up at Link as he struggled to get up, to pull his enemy down. Link lifted his sword and plunged it quickly through his throat, effectively beheading him.

Ganondorf's last words were unintelligible; garbled and nonsensical through his torn throat, blood dribbling out of his mouth and nose. All the while he stared up at Link with murder in his eyes. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell slack.

Link pulled free Zelda's dagger and the arrows, and cut off a rag of cloth from Ganondorf's cape, wiping his face and then righting his nose with a sickening crunch. He turned to look at Zelda, who was bleeding from a cut on one of her cheekbones, and she had a slight limp from her aching hip. He handed her dagger and the arrow back, and she put it away on her thigh, turning away from him slightly.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Zelda nodded, pale and shaken. Link went to her and helped hold her up.

"Well. I thought that would have gone neater," he muttered.

Zelda shook her head. "Horrible. We're horrible people."

"He would have killed us anyway," Link retorted.

"I know."

"It was self defense, alright?"

"I know."

Link let her go when he was sure she could stand, then he moved away, turning and throwing up black onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" She didn't relish the thought of having to haul him out of the woods.

He nodded weakly. "Just uh… swallowed too much blood." He spat bright red onto the snow. "Din's teeth."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, catching their breath.

"You should head back," Link instructed her. "Get healed up, then go home."

Zelda nodded weakly, and Link looked at Ganondorf's body. "Sad, twisted man," he muttered, going over and pulling the sword from his throat. He cleaned it off on Ganondorf's cape, and looked again at Zelda. "Go. Get out. I don't want you getting caught."

"What will…" she trailed off, staring past Link. He turned around, and they stared at an enormous wild boar, its tusks curled and its eyes focused on them. Zelda reached to pluck at Link's sleeve. "Come on," she said. "Move slow and calmly away from it."

In the distance they could hear the barking of the dogs. The boar swished its tail, snorting and lowering its head to the ground, but still watching them.

"Din's teeth," Link hissed. "Thing's bigger than a horse." He turned to Zelda. "Go. I can hold my own against it, and the guards are coming anyway." He glanced again to the boar, which had moved idly towards them, still sniffing at the ground.

"I'm going to stick around," Zelda replied fiercely. She looked around at the trees.

"Zelda, for the love of the Goddesses, think of your child and GO." He grabbed her arm and gave her a quick shake.

Reluctantly, she backed away, one eye on the boar. Link watched her going, and he gave her a nod of his head.

"Thank you," he muttered, quietly.

She turned, and headed out of the woods, hoping she wouldn't hear the boar charging after her.

/

Link edged carefully around the boar and caught up with the guards, then directed them to Ganondorf's body. When they got back, the boar was sniffing him over, and had apparently tried to bite at his soft body through the metal, and failed. The guards were horrified and fired their arrows at the boar. This only annoyed the animal, and it waved its tusks threateningly at them before turning and tromping off. The dogs barked and howled at it as well, chasing it off, mindful of its massive horns.

"See, it gored him…" Link pointed at the wound in Ganondorf's throat. "I ran for you as soon as I could; I didn't want the beast to turn on me. But…"

The guards inspected their dead king, his closed eyes and his grimacing face slack.

"Goddesses," one muttered in a stunned tone.

They gave a brief moment to the fallen man, muttering prayers under their breath. Link folded his hands, but he said nothing, staring grimly. Carefully, the guards hauled up his body, and Link herded the dogs to keep them from biting at his dangling hands, his drooping cape. It took a long time of walking, but the guards refused any suggestion to stop to rest their shoulders. Soon enough, they had Ganondorf packed away in the little cart, to take him to the castle to begin mourning.

/

Zelda was halfway to the fortress when the weight of what she had done struck her, and she had to stop her horse and sit still for a minute to calm herself. She told herself, again and again, that it was in the name of her husband and father. Their deaths were undeserved. But she couldn't help feel that she was only really punishing Sila, trapped in a similar situation. But Sila didn't even really love her husband. She was just putting on an act.

Zelda stopped and started her horse, stopped and started, and finally, she decided she could not bear to look another Gerudo in the face, with them congratulating and thanking her. She wanted to wipe her slate clean of those people. Instead, she turned her horse slightly. She could heal up at home, with people she knew, and start to forget the nightmare she had willingly participated in.

It was late afternoon when she got back to town. At first, no one paid much mind as she dismounted at the paddock and put her horse in. It took Milla, who was out watering the cows to realize, and she shrieked and dropped her water pail.

"ZELDA!" she shouted, before charging over to her. Zelda put up her hands defensively to ward off a hug, and Milla stopped short, taking her hands. "Farore's teeth, we thought you were dead for sure! My, look at how big you are!" She stood back, looking at Zelda's belly.

"I haven't been gone that long," she muttered.

"No, but Goddesses, it feels like an age!" She hugged her carefully. "What are your plans? Are you hungry? Where were you?"

"I'm tired, Milla. I just want to rest, at home."

"Oh Goddesses, what is that cut?"

"I was heading home and my horse spooked. I fell." The lie came quickly to her lips, but she regretted it quickly after.

"What? Oh Farore, we have to get you to Linna right away. LINNA!" Milla grabbed Zelda by the arm and drug her to Linna's house.

Linna opened her house door with a frown at all the shouting, but when she saw Zelda she gasped in alarm. "OH! Oh Din, Zelda!"

Zelda nodded. "I'm fine. I'm home now. I just… needed to get away for a while."

"She fell off her damn horse!" Milla shouted.

"Get inside, now. It's a wonder you didn't lose the baby." Linna grabbed Zelda by the arm and hauled her in.

"Really, I'm fine, it wasn't that big a fall. Just a scratch."

Linna took Zelda to one of the spare rooms, shutting Milla out and hissing at the old woman warningly when she tried to follow them in. Zelda sat on the bed and Linna cleaned the cut on her face.

"What else did you hit?"

"My hip. It hurts, but it's not so bad."

Linna lifted Zelda's skirts with permission and inspected her side; there was a horrible yellow bruise, marred with dark speckles of brown and red, but aside from a little grunt of pain Zelda seemed fine.

"You're incredibly lucky," Linna muttered, once she knew she was fine.

"I know." Zelda sighed, smoothing her dress back into place.

"So… were you at the desert king's?"

Zelda froze, looking at Linna.

"I mean, you have some color to you. I figured you were further south, and... I guess that's the closest place. And you two seem almost friendly."

"It doesn't matter where I was. I'm home now. I just wanted to be by myself, without so many memories."

Linna thought about it, looking at Zelda's face. If Zelda didn't want to tell her the truth, that was fine with her. She would in time. "I understand."

/

Sila looked up sharply when she heard the hall doors open. She'd been sitting in one of the parlor rooms with the girls, chatting and trying to keep distracted, because she knew what was coming and she was waiting. She looked back, her mouth suddenly dry and her skin cold. The other soldiers around her went still, waiting. It didn't take long for a maid to come running, flushed and shocked. "Y… Your Majesty. The king…"

Sila stood up. "Take me to him." She followed the girl out to the great hall, where Link was standing, bloody and acting stunned.

"Goddesses," Sila whispered. "What is it? What happened?"

"My lady, I regret to inform you that… your husband has passed away. He was attacked by a wild boar in the West Woods while we were hunting. I could not act quickly enough to save him. I beg your forgiveness for my cowardice." He sunk down on one knee, bowing. Sila stared at the top of his head. So, it was finally over.

To both of their surprise, Sila started to sob. Her attendants grabbed her as her knees buckled and sagged, and they helped her gently to the floor where she curled up, crying into her hands. With some effort, she was able to control her tears and calm down. Now they were free; he would not be permitted to ruin their countries. She wiped away her tears, and when she felt she could stand, she did so, feeling sick.

"Take me to him."

They went out to the main path before the castle, and she shuddered when she saw him laying there. His wounds were covered by his cloak, and she dare not move it aside to see them. She touched his face, sighing heavily as she did so, and she closed her eyes, muttering a little curse that could be mistaken for a prayer.

And now a funeral to plan, they still had to order in food supplies, so much left to do. Her shoulders felt heavy with the weight of it.

"If you wish, I would be willing to stay and assist you in any way I can," Link said softly, on the other side of the cart.

Sila looked up into his eyes and nodded. "Thank you. It would be much appreciated."

It was over.

/

Din trailed her fingers over the water of their seeing pool and sighed. She was done.

_PERHAPS IT WOULD HAVE GONE THIS WAY NO MATTER WHAT, _Nayru said quietly. _POWER HAS CORRUPTED HIM SO THOROUGHLY, HE KNEW NO OTHER WAY TO ACT. _

**I SUPPOSE. I WILL ACCEPT THAT AS FACT, FOR NOW.** Din looked towards Farore, who said nothing in response.

**WHAT SORT OF BURDEN IS IT, ANYWAY, TO BE A BEARER OF OUR SIGILS? SURELY, IT WEIGHS ON THEM ALL, IN ITS OWN WAY.**

I AM SURE IT DOES, Farore replied. YOUR SON WAS MEANT FOR IT. HE WAS SUITED TO IT. IT IS PART OF THE BALANCE.

She brought up a smoky image of Link and rubbed away the bearing mark on his left hand with her thumb. Using her index finger, she pressed the back of his hand and the mark of the triforce was rebranded, with courage lighting up as opposed to power. The others did the same, though Din lingered over Ganondorf's image for some time. She closed her eyes and forgave herself. How could she have known the effects of his burden.

/

In the world below, time passed at an accelerated rate compared to the Sacred Realm.

In that world, Sila and Zelda gave birth around the same time, a few days apart. Zelda had a boy, and Sila, a girl. Within the next few months, Hyrule strengthened. The mines in Gerudo were reopened, and the fortress became the center of operations for processing the copper ore, which was then sold by Hyrule to Termina and other countries.

At first, Link lived in the castle as a consult to Sila, until people became suspicious of their relationship. From there, he left to the desert again, for a time.

The copper mines brought jobs and commerce to the desert, then irrigation for farming a food supply, and so on and so forth. No longer did they need to rely on shipping in their food sources, so that their money could instead go towards renovating the building, putting in roads, and so forth.

Gerudo was no longer a military complex, and Link, along with most of his soldiers, oversaw the copper operations as foremen. But he hated it. He was bored.

On a lark, he traveled to Zelda's village, which had grown considerably because of the wealth and jobs from the mines. He bought some land on the outskirts of town, near a river, and built himself a neat little house, even went and got a horse, living off dividends from the mines.

He visited Zelda rarely, at first, unsure how she felt towards him, if she was angry at him for what they had done. But eventually she grew to a polite nature towards him, kind enough to allow him in to share dinner once in a while.

They never talked about that day in the West Woods.

And that was how their lives played out, with no troubling incidents beyond. Though for a long time afterwards, there were rumors of a massive black boar roaming those woods, whose scream sounded exactly like a man's, and attacked lost wanderers.

But that might be a story for a different time.

/

As usual, thanks to everyone for reading my story I'm not sure if this was necessarily successful, but with some cleaning up I could probably turn it into something special. I promise that next time, Link and Zelda will get to be all lovey-dovey on each other and y'all can revel in shippyness. OR WILL THEY

Sorry the updates dropped off; I got distracted with work and Minecraft. So thanks again for your patience and your kind words and helpful criticisms, I really appreciate that you guys keep reading and favorite-ing.


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